Floods also damaged over 510,000 hectares of crops and caused direct economic losses of 8.13 billion yuan ($1.16 billion) in Jiangxi, the headquarters said.

After the activation of the highest flood-control response level on Saturday in Jiangxi, over 53,000 people were mobilized to fight the flood, including 6,525 from the Jiangxi Provincial Military Command and 2,537 from the People's Armed Police.

"We will prioritize safeguarding people's lives and make every effort to fight against these historic floods," said Xu Weiming, secretary-general of the Jiangxi Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.