MOSCOW, July 5 (RIA Novosti) - Heavy rains in China's central and southern provinces have left 16 people dead and forced over 320,000 residents to flee their homes, China's Xinhua news agency said on Sunday.

Torrential rains battering China for several days now have killed eight people and forced another 140,000 to flee in the central province of Hunan. Five people have died in southeastern Fujian province and over 20,000 have been evacuated, the agency said.

The authorities in the southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region reported three people dead. To prevent further fatalities, 80,000 people have been evacuated from Zhuang and 70,000 from Guangxi.

Rains and spillways have caused 5,600 houses to topple in the province. The regional government estimated damages at 210 million yuan ($31 million).

China's CCTV channel reported on Sunday that floodwaters along a major commercial street in Rongshui rose to a record 2.5 meters (8 feet). Only the signboards of restaurants and shops along the street could be seen above the water, with local residents sitting on balconies and roofs.

The rains also destroyed a 13.5-meter (44-feet) section of a dyke near the base of the Kama reservoir in Guangxi. About 15,000 people living downstream from the dam have been accommodated in tents, Xinhua said.

Heavy rains have been battering China since early last week and have claimed the lives of 95 people, while at least 21 are missing. Direct economic damages are estimated at $1.5 billion.