Beijing downpours toll rises to 37

Beijing, July 23 (IANS) With the recovery of more bodies, the toll since Saturday's torrential rains has climbed to 37 in China, said the Beijing municipal government late Sunday.

The heaviest rain in six decades lashed the Chinese capital Saturday, with the average precipitation reaching 170 mm while a township in the suburban district of Fangshan recording 460 mm of rain. The downpours have submerged some power supply facilities and led to blackouts in parts of the city, Xinhua reported.

According to the municipal government's information office, of the total victims, 25 died by drowning, six were killed in house collapses, one by lightening strike and five others were electrocuted. Twenty-two of the bodies have been identified, it added.