At least 12 people were killed and 5 injured when a subway tunnel was flooded in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou, the administrative center of east-central China's Henan province, regional authorities said in a statement posted on the Weibo social network.

Heavy rains in the region caused water to amass in large amounts at a parking lot above a section of the city subway’s Line 5. Eventually, the water found its way into the tunnel.

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Subway administration urgently halted traffic and cut all power, but one train stopped at a flooded section of the tunnel.

Subway workers organized evacuation, helping about 500 passengers to leave it.

"12 people could not be rescued, they died. Five people were injured and hospitalized," the city authorities said.

In the past 24 hours, between 50 and 90 mm of rainfall was recorded in central and western districts of Henan. In the region’s administrative center, Zhengzhou, the figure ranged between 250 and 329 mm. According to weather forecasts, about 260 mm of rainfall are expected in the region on Wednesday.