The death toll in the flood and mud-rock flow inflicted by typhoon Talim has climbed to 63 in east China's Anhui Province and 18 others have gone missing, the local government said Tuesday.

Casualties have been reported in 27 counties in seven cities by Tuesday, a spokesman with the provincial disaster relief office told Xinhua.

He said 39,700 houses collapsed and 117,300 others were damaged when heavy rain caused landslide and mud-row flow in the Dabieshan Mountains, forcing at least 420,000 people to evacuate.

The direct economic loss has totaled 3.4 billion yuan (US$420 million), he said.

The provincial disaster relief office has allocated 6 million yuan (US$740,000) of contingency fund to provide basic supplies to the flood affected population.

More than 25,000 officials and 1 million residents are working to fight the flood and keeping guard on local river embankments.

The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters also sent a team of specialists to the province on Sunday to help with relief work.

Talim, the 13th typhoon of the year, landed the Chinese mainland from the coastal Fujian Province last Thursday and brought heavy rain in the following four days to the three cities of Anqing, Liu'an and Chaohu as it swept the hinterland Anhui Province.

The downpour caused 47 of the province's 112 large and medium-sized reservoirs to swell above the danger line. In Yuexi county, one of the worst-hit regions, rainfall totaled 573 millimeters.

(Xinhua News Agency September 6, 2005)