HOHHOT, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Floods triggered by torrential rain have left 12 people dead and three others missing in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, local authorities said Monday.

The regional meteorological observatory has issued a red alert for rainstorms, warning that rainfall will continue in the following days and may cause floods and landslides in cities and towns.

Inner Mongolia has been hit by heavy rain since the flood season came this month. A number of roads and hydrological facilities have been damaged.

More than 338,000 residents and over 157,000 hectares of crops have been affected by heavy rain. More than 300 houses have been destroyed and a total of 9,307 people have been relocated, according to the local authorities.

The direct economic losses were estimated at 637 million yuan (94 million U.S. dollars).