Western China landslides kill 21

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At least 21 people have been killed in landslides triggered by more heavy rain in south-west China, state media said.

Twelve people died and another 18 were injured late on Friday when a mudslide swept through a village in Sichuan province's Garze region.

In nearby Shimian county, nine people were killed when falling rocks hit a bus, knocking the vehicle off the road.

Torrential rain and flash floods have already brought severe damage to the region in recent days.

Friday's mudslide happened in Heba village, in an ethnic Tibetan region of Sichuan province some 60km (37 miles) from the town of Juilong, Xinhua news agency reported.

More than 3,000 houses were washed away and 1,300 hectares of farmland destroyed.

A 4km (2.5 mile) stretch of the highway was also washed away, the agency said.

Lightning strikes

The rain triggered mudslides in Ganzi, Sichuan Province

The bad weather has already affected more than two million people, Xinhua said on Friday.

On Thursday, 11 people died in mudslides in the Ganzi and Liangshan districts of Sichuan.

Ten more people died in floods and lightning strikes in neighbouring Chongqing Municipality, and more than 350 were injured.

Some 112,000 people have been evacuated from their homes, the agency said.