BEIJING - The central authorities on Saturday launched an emergency response to help victims of rainstorms and flooding in Northwest China's Gansu province, and sent a work group to the area.

The emergency response was launched by the National Commission for Disaster Reduction and the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Meanwhile, the work group, which was sent to an area in Gansu hit by a 6.6-magnitude quake on July 22, was ordered to go to Tianshui of Gansu, to see the situation and cooperate with local authorities in disaster relief.

As of 7 pm Sunday, strong rainfall since July 24 has resulted in floods in the province's Tianshui, Longnan and Qingyang, leaving 21 people dead and 5 others missing, according to the Gansu Provincial Civil Affairs Department.

The disaster has affected 446,400 people and toppled down or severely damaged 15,600 houses. A total of 39,500 people have been relocated.

Authorities in Gansu have also launched an emergency response to the disaster, sending two work groups to flood-hit areas and allotting 10 million yuan ($1.65 million dollars) for disaster relief.