16 May 2003

At least 12 people died after extensive rain caused mine slides to bury their living quarters and washed away several small carpet factories in Wanshui Township, Linwu County, Hunan Province on 13 May.

A flash flood reportedly washed away some 40 huts where miners at a nearby mine lived. Twelve people inside the huts were killed instantly and six injured. Twenty miners are missing,

According to reports, the victims include a family of six people with a six-year-old child.