1 million flee from China floods; 55 dead

BEIJING, China  -- Flooding has killed 55 people and forced more than a million to flee their homes across a stretch of southwestern China, including the earthquake-ravaged Sichuan province, state media reported Sunday.

Authorities said that torrential rains are expected to pound the region for another 10 days raising water levels further, according to the news agency Xinhua.

The flood has hit nine provinces the hardest -- including Sichuan, which is still reeling from a 7.9-magnitude earthquake that struck southwestern China on May 12.

By Sunday afternoon, the official death toll from the quake had risen to 69,170, Xinhua said. Another 374,159 people were injured and 17,427 are still missing, the news agency said.

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