Four dead, 30 hurt in China storm

Beijing, May 10 (IANS) At least four people have died and 30 others were injured in storms and tornadoes in a central Chinese province, officials said.

Hunan province has been battered by torrential rains since late Tuesday, which affected over 110,000 residents and forced the evacuation of more than 5,000, Xinhua reported.

Up to 1,000 houses have collapsed due to the extreme weather, resulting in the deaths, a spokesman said.

Power supply, telecommunication networks and traffic have been disrupted. Some mines have been forced to suspend their operations.

More than 30 passenger trains on three major railway lines in the province have been delayed due to the storms. Trains were also travelling at slower speeds because of the rain.