The death toll from severe rain storms and flooding across China in the aftermath of severe Tropical Storm Bilis has risen to 188, with more than 120 others missing, state media said early Tuesday.

China Central Television said 11.9 million residents in six provinces — Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Jiangxi and Zhejiang — were hit by rain and floods which paralyzed transport and communications.

So far, 92 people have died in the central province of Hunan, while 43 people in the southeastern province of Fujian and 44 in the southern province of Guangdong have perished, Xinhua news agency reported.

Another nine died in the southern province of Guangxi, some of them crushed after their houses collapsed in floods, it said.

Casualty figures from Jiangxi and Zhejiang were not yet available, the agency reported.

Torrential downpours in Fujian triggered flash flooding and landslides that left the 43 people dead and four injured, Xinhua said earlier.

Another 24 people in Fujian were missing, including 10 buried in a landslide in Zhangzhou city, the agency said, adding that their chances of surviving were slim.

Three million people in the province were affected by the flooding, with 19,100 houses destroyed, 144,680 hectares (360,000 acres) of crops damaged and 519,000 people evacuated by late Sunday.

In addition to the 92 people confirmed dead in Hunan province, more than 100 were still missing, Xinhua said, citing official figures.

The dead included 14 people who were working at the Shenjiawan Colliery Saturday when it was flooded after the dams of a nearby reservoir burst amid severe flooding, Xinhua said.

At least 4.3 million people across that province have been hit by the rainstorms and floods, according to the agency's earlier reports, with some 34,000 houses toppled and 156,000 hectares of farmland damaged.

In neighboring Guangdong province, the 44 people killed were among 1.32 million people hit by the rainstorms, it said earlier.

Some 4,744 homes were destroyed in Guangdong, it said.

More than 8,800 passengers were safely evacuated late Monday after being stranded at various points along the main Beijing-Guangzhou railway line for about 40 hours, Xinhua said.

The water level reached more than one meter (3.3 feet) above the train tracks in some areas. Some 10,000 workers were mobilized to repair the inundated tracks.

The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters refused to comment when contacted by AFP Monday.

Local meteorological authorities in Hunan and Guangdong provinces forecast more storms in their regions in coming days while the rain was shifting westwards, hitting Guangxi province.

Bilis wreaked havoc in the Philippines and Taiwan before veering towards China. It weakened after hitting the mainland last Friday.

Source: Agence France-Presse