MORE than 1,000 people have died or disappeared in severe flooding in China so far this year, and the heaviest rains are still to come, a senior official warned yesterday.

More than 1,000 people have died or disappeared in severe flooding in China so far this year, and the heaviest rains are still to come, a senior official warned today.

The search for survivors in the rubble of China's powerful earthquake grew bleak today, with rescuers in some areas no longer listening for trapped victims.