LANZHOU - Hail and torrential rains pounded a county in Gansu province on Thursday, leaving at least eight people dead and 16 others missing, local authorities said.

The bad weather only lasted an hour from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., but caused heavy losses in the county of Minxian in Dingxi city, a spokesman with the county government said late Thursday night.

Hail and torrential rains disrupted power supplies and telecommunications networks, damaged 3,900 hectares of cropland and destroyed a highway, the spokesman said.

In addition, five people were injured, he said.

Local authorities have launched a relief operation, he said.

More rainstorms are forecast to hit Dingxi and other parts of Gansu in the next couple of days, local meteorological authorities said.