Storms battering southern China have killed at least seven people and allowed dozens of crocodiles to escape from a farm.

Nearby residents were advised to stay at home after more than 70 crocodiles reportedly escaped in Maoming, a city near the coast in western Guangdong province, according to Chinese media reports.

An emergency official was quoted as saying that 69 adult crocodiles and six juveniles had escaped. Some have been captured, but the operation was difficult because of the depth of a lake they are in, the reports said.

No injuries have been reported.

Further west, seven people died and three are missing after multiple landslides in the city of Yulin in the Guangxi region, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. Heavy rains on Sunday and Monday triggered the landslides.

Incessant storms in the last three days in most areas of Yulin caused 115 landslides that destroyed roads, uprooting trees, inducing floods and leading authorities to issue a warning of emergencies on national and provincial trunk highways, state media said.

Further south near the coast, Beihai city was inundated from widespread downpour. Rescuers were seen treading thigh-deep in waterlogged areas evacuating residents in boats. About 1360 people were trapped on Tuesday, state media said.

The city’s observatory raised its storm warning to the highest in a four-tier alert system after more than 101mm rain poured in a three-hour period on Tuesday morning, and flagged risks of flash floods, geological disasters and waterlogging in urban and rural areas.

The rains last week caused flash floods in Hong Kong, killing two people.

with Reuters