Southwestern China flooding kills 55

State media are reporting 55 people have been killed and seven are missing in flooding across a broad stretch of southern China. The official Xinhua News Agency said more than 1 million people have been forced to flee their homes across nine provinces.

Heavy rain in Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan provinces will further raise water levels downstream, especially in the coastal manufacturing powerhouse of Guangdong, Xinhua says. Most of those areas are expected to receive more heavy rain over the next 10 days. (AP)