BEIJING - Since the start of the year, 377 people in China have died in floods and 94 are missing, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said on Tuesday.

The effects of the floods have been felt by 54.6 million people, and nearly 4.6 million hectares of crops have been damaged or lost. Around 160,000 homes have been destroyed.

In August alone, two rounds of heavy rains brought disaster to 21 provincial regions, with 5.9 million people affected. The provinces of Fujian, Guizhou and Zhejiang as well as Chongqing Municipality were the most severely hit.