SHANGHAI, June 8 (Reuters) - Violent storms killed 11 people in two Chinese provinces and left thousands homeless this week, the Xinhua news agency reported on Friday. In the southwestern province of Sichuan, hailstorms, lightning strikes and landslides led to seven deaths and nine injuries on Friday alone, Xinhua said. Storms also hit the central province of Hunan on Wednesday and Thursday, leaving three people dead, one missing and 158,000 homeless, Xinhua said, citing the Ministry of Civil Affairs. The rainstorms in Hunan resulted in the collapse of 3,807 houses, destroyed 57,000 hectares (142,500 acres) of crops and caused direct economic losses of more than 580 million yuan ($75 million), it said. About 75,000 people now have no access to drinking water, it added. A ministry spokesman told Xinhua that an emergency rescue team had been sent to the disaster-hit area because the situation was deteriorating. Hailstorms, rainstorms and floods also hit the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwestern China on Thursday, Xinhua said. Late last month, lightning, mudslides and floods in Sichuan province killed 43 people, state media have said.
