BEIJING, July 12 (Reuters) - Floods and landslides unleashed by typhoons Durian and Utor have killed at least 18 people in China's southern region of Guangxi and caused nearly $2 billion in damage, an official said on Thursday.
''Economic losses related to floods since early July were estimated at 15.9 billion yuan ($1.9 billion) in the whole region,'' an official with the regional Civil Affairs Bureau told Reuters on Thursday.
The floods destroyed houses and crops, battered highways and railways, local newspapers said.
In the regional capital of Nanning, up to 300,000 people, including soldiers, had been mobilized over the last week in an all-out battle against the surging waters of the Yongjiang River which runs through the city.
At the weekend, the river was a threatening 5.42 metres (17.8 feet) above danger level and was held back only by strengthened dykes, officials with the city's Flood Relief Office said.
Officials in Nanning said water level was down to 3.55 metres (11.7 feet) above danger level by Thursday morning and falling.
The river was also still above danger levels at the downstream cities of Guigang and Wuzhou, but was falling, local newspapers said.
Flood control officials said it would be another 15 days before the region was free of flood waters.
Typhoons Durian and Utor lashed southern China within one week of each other earlier this month, bringing torrential rains to Guangxi and neighbouring Guangdong province.