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Bridge collapse death toll rises to 51 in China

The death toll from a bridge collapse triggered by intense flooding in central China has risen to 51 people as the worst flooding in a decade wreaks havoc across the country.

The Associated Press

BEIJING — The death toll from a bridge collapse triggered by intense flooding in central China has risen to 51 people as the worst flooding in a decade wreaks havoc across the country.

Rescuers searched for 15 people still missing in Henan province's Yi River after a bridge collapsed more than a week ago, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Monday. A witness said the bridge collapsed when pedestrians crowded on to watch the flooding after heavy rains overflowed the river.

Floods this year have killed at least 991 people, left 558 missing and caused tens of billions of dollars in damage across the country, the State Flood Control and Drought Prevention office reported. More heavy rains were expected to sweep over the northwest, northeast, southwest and central parts of China through Tuesday.

Over the weekend, about 300,000 residents were trapped and left without tap water in their homes in the northeastern province of Jilin after torrential rains drenched the industrial city of Tonghua and damaged four major water pipelines, Xinhua reported.

Flooding has hit areas all over China this year. About 875,000 homes have been destroyed, 9.61 million people evacuated, and 22 million acres (8.76 million hectares) of crops ruined, according to the state flood control office.