At least 18 people have died after torrential rains inundated towns an cities in central China - trapping people in a flooded subway system in water up to their necks

Twelve of the deaths reported so far occurred in the city of Zhengzhou, Henan province, after the city's underground network flooded with horrifying videos showing people trapped in train carriages filling with water while awaiting rescue.

Another four were reported dead in the nearby town of Gongyi, while five were injured and another 200,000 displaced in what is believed to be the heaviest rainfall in the region for 1,000 years.