Seven people killed in China storms while dozens of crocodiles escape from farm

Residents in Maoming, a city near the coast in western Guangdong province, advised to stay at home

A landslide at Redhill Peninsula in Hong Kong. The city has been flooded by the heaviest rain in about 140 years. AFP

At least seven people were killed after storms hit southern China, causing several landslides in the city of Yulin, in the Guangxi region.

Three others are missing, official Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.

Heavy rain started on Sunday and continued throughout Monday.

The storm also allowed dozens of crocodiles to escape from a farm.

Residents in Maoming, a city near the coast in western Guangdong province, were advised to stay at home after more than 70 crocodiles escaped, Chinese media reported.

Some of the reptiles have been captured but the operation faced difficulties because of the depth of the lake they were in, media reports said.

The rain caused flash floods in Hong Kong last week, killing two people. Parts of the city were flooded again following a heavy downpour on Monday.

Hong Kong leader John Lee said the government would set up an emergency assistance fund to help those affected by the floods.