Natural disasters kill 759 people in August in China

Natural disasters killed 759 people in China in August, with 123 still missing, the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) said Tuesday in a statement.

More than 57.5 million were affected by natural disasters, and more than 600,000 people were relocated, the MCA said.

Earthquakes, droughts and floods were the main natural disasters to hit China last month. Hail, mountain collapses, landslides, mudslides, and forest and prairie fires also struck the country.

Some 18,000 buildings collapsed in the disasters, and 9.05 million hectares of crops were affected, including 1.15 million hectares that were completely destroyed.

Direct economic losses amounted to 63.3 billion yuan (10.3 billion US dollars), the MCA said, adding that the figure didn't include damages from an earthquake that hit southwest China's Yunnan Province on Aug. 3.

The 6.5-magnitude earthquake in Ludian, Yunnan, killed 617 people, with 112 missing. Some 80,000 homes were destroyed. Economic losses from the quake are still under evaluation, the MCA said.

According to the statement, the Chinese mainland reported 16 quakes above 4.0 in magnitude in August, slightly more than the same period in recent years.