Six missing in SW China flood

KUNMING -?Rescuers are searching for six people who went missing after a flood caused by heavy rain in Southwest China's Yunnan province, local authorities said Saturday.

The six, from two households, went missing around 7 pm Friday after their riverside homes in Shizi township, Yanjin county, collapsed in the flood, according to the county publicity office.

Downpours since Thursday have affected nearly 150,000 people in eight counties of Zhaotong city, causing landslides and mudslides.

In Yiliang county, a lake formed after a landslide blocked a river at 5:40 am Friday. More than 2,000 residents living downstream of the lake were evacuated to safety before it burst two hours later.

Disaster relief goods, including tents, quilts, instant food and bottled water, have been sent to the affected area.

Rescue workers are taking care of relocated residents and making plans to repair the lake.