BEIJING -- Chinese disaster relief authorities have started an emergency response to floods in Hubei province and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

The National Commission for Disaster Relief and the Ministry of Civil Affairs began the level-four emergency response on Monday afternoon and sent teams to help relief work in the two regions.

Heavy rains and floods have left six dead and 15 missing in Hubei and three dead and one missing in Xinjiang. Nearly 140,000 people had been relocated in the two regions.

Authorities have arranged 1,000 tents and 1,000 folding beds for the flood-hit areas in Hubei. Hubei provincial authorities also sent four work teams to guide disaster relief efforts.

Xinjiang authorities sent two work teams and allocated 932,000 yuan ($142,000) in cash, food and drinking water worth 1.83 million yuan and hundreds of tents.