More than 200 people in five groups were sent to help with search and rescue duties, according to a statement from the provincial government. Local firefighters said they helped more than 30 villagers relocate to a safe place.

It is the second heavy rain and flood event in the province in the past month, following a torrential rainstorm in Dongxiang county that killed 12 and left four missing on July 18.

Since July, extensive rainstorms have continued throughout the province, although Gansu usually is dry in the summer. Storms that hit Gansu from July 9-11 were the heaviest in 57 years, the local meteorological department said.

Jingyuan county, on the southern edge of the Tengger Desert, had endured drought conditions since 2000, with annual precipitation of less than 200 milliliters on average.