(China Daily)
Updated: 2007-04-03 06:53

Hailstorms claim 13 lives

Hailstorms have ravaged southern parts of China since Sunday, killing 13 people, closing an expressway and destroying crops on at least 81,300 hectares of farmland, officials said yesterday.

Seven people were killed and one was injured when a bus was hit in a landslide caused by the hailstorms in mountainous Chongqing Municipality yesterday, while the others were killed by falling roofs and lightning on Sunday and yesterday, said the Chongqing office of disaster relief.

The hailstorms led to the collapse of 158 houses.

Fujian Province was also badly hit by storms, where stones the size of eggs were reported.

(China Daily 04/03/2007 page4)