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The rain, which began earlier this month, has caused 26 billion yuan ($4.1 billion) in damage, the Civil Affairs Ministry said on its website (www.mca.gov.cn) late on Tuesday.
Nearly 1 million people have also been forced to evacuate their homes.
The floods have been most severe in the northwestern province of Shaanxi and the southwestern province of Sichuan. Nearly 40 rivers in various parts of the country are in danger of breaching their banks, state radio said.
Copyright Reuters, 2011