BEIJING, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Natural disasters in May resulted in 113 deaths, 12 missing people and affected the lives of millions across China, according to official figures.
The disasters included floods, wind and hail, as well as droughts, earthquakes, freezing temperatures, snow, and forest fires, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said Monday in a statement.
Natural disasters caused about 17 billion yuan (about 2.6 billion U.S. dollars) in direct economic losses. About 271,000 residents were relocated and some 133,000 needed emergency assistance.
About 221,000 houses were damaged, some 15,000 destroyed, and 1.67 million hectares of crops were destroyed, it said. The overall damage from natural disasters in May was generally less than the same periods since 2011.