China detains five for minimising flood death

Chinese authorities have detained five people on suspicion of falsely understating the number of deaths from a flash flood at a construction site in Sichuan province, state media reported on Wednesday.

After an investigation, local government officials said four people had been killed, 48 were missing and 149 had escaped the flood at a river expressway in Jinyang County on Aug. 21, according to state media.

Initially, Jinyang authorities said 79 people had been rescued with six reported missing.

Five people involved in the construction project have been detained.

Regions across China have suffered through weeks of torrential rains that have caused deaths, massive flooding and landslides.

(Reuters)