Nanchang (China), July 11 (TIWN) Twenty-two people have been killed and over 7 million people affected by heavy rain that has brought floods in China's Jiangxi Province since June, authorities said here on Thursday.

Hebei, a province in northern China that surrounds Beijing has been affected the most, with the death toll of 114, and another 111 people still missing, according to the provincial Ministry of Civil Affairs.

The flooding began early Wednesday morning, catching many residents off-guard. More than 9 million people across 147 counties have been affected, while 155,000 houses have been damaged and more than 300,000 residents have had to relocate. The phenomenon has led to an economic loss of more than 2.4 billion U.S. dollars according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.