In China, the death toll in persistent heavy rains that has devastated parts of southern region has risen to 379 with 141 missing. Meanwhile, water levels of major lakes in the south have been rising steadily with some becoming dangerously high. The Ministry of Water Resources has urged local authorities to keep a vigilant watch on key dykes to prevent bursting. The flood control authority on Saturday said heavy rains and ensuing floods have affected 68.7 million people in 22 provincial-level regions and 4.36 million hectares of farmland and resulted in direct economic losses of 82.4 billion yuan.