Among the victims, 122 were killed by mountain torrents or mud-and-rock flows, said the statement prior to a press conference on flood prevention and drought control on Friday morning.

It said that 16.93 million people were affected by the floods, which also destroyed 976,000 hectares of crops and 61,900 houses.

Initial direct economic losses were estimated at 5.8 billion yuan (US$699 million).

(Xinhua News Agency June 13, 2003)