Severe Flooding In Central China Kills 18

Some 200,000 people displaced as heavy rains lash Henan province.

Severe flooding in China's central Henan province caused by torrential rains has caused at least 18 fatalities, local media reported on Wednesday.
Search and rescue teams have found the bodies of 18 victims so far in flood-affected areas of Henan's capital city of Zhengzhou, while an estimated 200,000 people have been displaced, according to the South China Morning Post.
In a statement, the Zhengzhou government said the situation is still far from being under control and the emergency level has been raised to the highest point.
Torrential rains have battered Henan province since the weekend, causing rivers to burst their banks and flooding streets in several cities in the region.
According to the Zhengzhou Meteorology Bureau, 617 millimeters (over 24 inches) of rain has been recorded in the region, the highest in 60 years.
China's economy has incurred damages worth an estimated $11.3 million due to the heavy rains and floods, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency.
Writing by Dilan Pamuk in Ankara -