NANNING, June 17 -- Elderly-care is in the spotlight this week after old people were left stranded by floods in south China, leaving at least one missing and dozens waiting hours to be rescued.

When the heaviest rain storm in six decades hit Dahua County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on Sunday afternoon, Lan Yunle, 67, and his elderly mother had to climb onto the roof of their two-story home.

"The rain came so suddenly," said Lan. "Within 20 minutes, our ground floor was inundated."

The mother and son had to wait 24 hours to be rescued.

"I had managed to grab a cooker and some rice, so I was able to prepare a simple meal," said Lan. "But we had no drinking water and it was impossible to get back into the house. I was really worried about my mother, who is over 90."

Dahua County recorded 390 millimeters of precipitation in the 24 hours from June 14 to 15. In lower areas, even rooms on the second floor were submerged to waist height.

In Lan's home village of Nongdai, 25 people were caught in the flood, all "empty-nesters" aged from 55 to 98. They were actually the only permanent residents in the village.

Roads into the village were impassable. Rescue efforts had to be conducted by boat, and rescuers had no choice but to carry the boats along mountain passes to access villages.