CHENGDU, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- The death toll has risen to nine after heavy downpours and mudslides battered Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Sichuan Province, local authorities said Thursday.
As of Wednesday night, 35 people remained missing, according to the emergency management bureau of Aba.
The prefecture has immediately sent 1,630 rescue workers to search for the missing and trapped people after the rain-triggered disasters occurred Tuesday.
Over 90 percent of residents in Wenchuan County, which was worst hit by torrential rain and multiple mudslides, were affected. More than 100,000 people need to be evacuated and emergency life assistance.
The rain has damaged some roads and bridges, 900 houses, two reservoirs and dams and 20 large and medium-sized enterprises. It also destructed drinking water pipelines running a total of over 115 km, with more than 58,000 people's drinking water service disrupted.
Search and rescue efforts are still underway.
