CHINA / National
16 died as typhoon hits coastal China
(Shanghai Daily)
Updated: 2006-05-19 08:13
Typhoon Chanchu hit China's southern coast Thursday morning, killing at
least 16 people, before it was downgraded to a severe tropical storm
moving northeast.
The number of casualties may rise as authorities were still checking the
storm's path late Thurdsay.
Chinese men take snapshotsas strong waves whip a bridge in Zhuhai,
Guangdong province May 17, 2006. Typhoon Chanchu continues to move
northward along the coastal areas of east China's Fujian Province after
it landed in Guangdong. [Xinhua]
Chanchu, the most severe typhoon ever to hit the area around the South
China Sea in May over the past 50 years, also forced more than 1.2
million residents to flee their homes in Guangdong, Fujian and Zhejiang
provinces, reported the state flood and drought center and the Ministry
of Civil Affairs.
The typhoon landed about 2:30am yesterday in Shantou, a city in the
northeastern tip of Guangdong. Half an hour later, the eye of the typhoon
moved across Guangdong to neighboring Fujian Province.
It packed winds of at least 35 meters per second when it hit Shantou.
A landslide toppled three houses in a Shantou suburb, killing three
people, authorities said.
Fujian authorities said 13 people have been killed.
In the province's Yunxiao County, landslides leveled two houses in a
village, killing at least eight people and leaving several others
missing. Rescue work has been hampered as floods destroyed area highways.
The typhoon also spawned torrential rain in the two provinces. More than
640 millimeters of rainfall was reported in Zhangpu, Fujian Province, as
of yesterday afternoon. Meanwhile, Guangdong's Chaoyang received about
400 millimeters, according to the state flood and drought center.
Five major rivers in Fujian surged above alert levels. In the most
serious case, water in the Dongxi River rose to 7.05 meters, or 1 meter
above the warning mark, at the Zhao'an power station early yesterday.
Fujian officials estimated economic losses at 3.9 billion yuan (US$487
million).
Authorities in Fujian evacuated at least 709,000 people as of late
yesterday. In Guangdong, 327,000 people were forced to leave homes in the
path of the typhoon.
More than 119,000 ships were forced to return from the sea in the two
provinces.
Thousands of people evacuated from fishing boats and low-lying areas were
staying with relatives, in tents, or in schools and warehouses.
Zhejiang Province evacuated at least 123,000 people.
The typhoon was downgraded to a tropical storm about 6am in Fujian. It
was expected to arrive in the East China Sea late last night.
In Shanghai, flights resumed normal operation at the city's two airports
yesterday. On Wednesday, some flights to Fujian and other southern
Chinese cities were affected.
Taiwan Island also reported the deaths of two women in the southern
region of Pingtung due to floods brought by the typhoon.
Also yesterday, 27 Vietnamese fishermen were missing after three boats
went down in the South China Sea after being swept up in the storm.
Another 67 people on six boats safely reached an island.
Chanchu left 37 people dead as it pummeled the Philippines last weekend.
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