Torriential rains pound central, southern China

Torrential rains continue to pound China's southern and central provinces, causing floods and landslides in towns and villages and triggering large evacuations, China's official Central Television (CCTV) reported.

The floods have left more than 120 people dead or missing across several provinces.

State broadcaster CCTV showed scenes of towns and villages  in flood waters in provinces of Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei and Fujian provinces.

Damages have been estimated in the hundreds of millions of US dollars, adding to pressure on a national economy still reeling from the effects of virus-related shutdowns and the loss of overseas markets.

Key tourist destinations in China's south have sustained flooding damage that is compounding financial stress caused by the massive drop-off in visitor numbers.