NANNING, May 10 (Xinhua) -- More than 70,000 people in southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region have been affected by heavy downpours, the regional flood control and drought relief headquarters said on Thursday.

Heavy rain that started Monday has affected 72,800 people in 15 counties. More than 3,900 hectares of crops were damaged, and power supply has been disrupted 16 times, causing a direct economic loss of 91 million yuan (14.3 million U.S. dollars).

Several cities in the region, including Yulin, Wuzhou, Qinzhou and Hezhou, are expecting more heavy downpours from Thursday night to Friday, according to the regional meteorological department.

The region issued a blue alert on Thursday for floods as heavy rain continued to hit the region.

The bureau warned local authorities and people to take precautions against the floods.