Flooding Devastates Cities in China, N.Korea

Heavy rains have caused serious flooding in China and North Korea after the river that marks their border breached banks on both sides Saturday.

China's official news agency Xinhua said about 51,000 people had to be evacuated from Chinese communities along the Yalu River and that three people were reported missing. Reports say the swollen river punctured a dike near an economic development zone in China's port city of Dandong.

North Korean official news agency KCNA reported heavy damage in the city of Sinuiju, across the river from Dandong. It said the city and surrounding farm communities were "severely affected," and that the military and civilians were involved in rescue efforts.

North Korean state media did not report how many people were affected.

Nearly 4,000 people have been killed or left missing this year in flood-related incidents in China.  Chinese emergency officials say the death toll from the massive mudslides in Zhouqu County, in northwest China's Gansu Province on August 8, has risen to 1,434 as of Saturday, with 331 people still missing.

The National Meteorological Center has forecast torrential rains for China's northeastern, central and southwestern regions throughout the day.

Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.