25,000 in Sichuan relocated due to heavy rain

CHENGDU, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Ongoing heavy rain in southwest China's Sichuan Province has affected more than 200,000 residents, and over 25,000 have been relocated, local authorities said Wednesday.

The provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters said direct economic losses have exceeded 688 million yuan (104 million U.S. dollars), including 191 million yuan worth of water conservancy facilities.

Statistics showed that 32 counties and 217 towns have been affected since Sunday.

A yellow alert for rainstorms has been issued by the provincial observatory.

China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue.