The accident Monday occurred when water suddenly flooded the bow of a boat carrying the children to school in Liufang village, in Guangxi autonomous region, causing the engine to stall.

The craft capsized and the 37 passengers and the boat's captain plunged into the water.

The Xinhua news agency said 32 people were rescued but the six children drowned.

Torrential rains and landslides in southern China have killed at least 148 people, affected 45 million and led to almost six billion yuan (730 million in economic losses, figures showed Tuesday.

It was not clear if the children's deaths were included in the statistics.

TERRA.WIRE