Five dead, one million evacuated as typhoon hits China

At least five people died, four were missing and about one million were evacuated as Typhoon Fitow buffeted south-eastern China with storm tides, gales and torrential rain on Monday, a China meteorological report has said.

The report also said that another storm slammed into southern Japan.

Fitow hit land in Shaocheng township in Fujian province with winds gusting at up to 200 Km per hour, but was expected to weaken as it moved inland, the China Meteorological Administration said.

Authorities in neighbouring Zhejiang province evacuated some 786,000 people, including 211,000 from ships, while about 338,000 were evacuated in Fujian, the Ministry of Civil Affairs also said.

The typhoon destroyed hundreds of houses in the two provinces, affecting some three million people in Zhejiang and causing damage estimated to cost 2.28 billion yuan (160 million dollars), state media said.

Most of the dead and missing were in Zhejiang’s Wenzhou area, including a 55-year-old man who was blown off a hill.

Another man died in Wenzhou’s Cangnan County after a building collapsed and killed him at his duck-breeding farm, and three people died of electric shocks in nearby Rui’an city, the agency said.

Two port workers and two fishermen were reported missing, it said.

Up to 200 millimetres of rain in 12 hours was forecast for many areas of Fujian.

All shipping services and many air, rail and bus services were suspended in Zhejiang, Fujian and nearby Jiangxi province from Sunday.

Electricity was cut in several rural areas of Zhejiang, the reports said.

Southern Japan, which was buffeted by Fitow Sunday, was hit by another storm on Monday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, warning of flooding, heavy rains, strong winds and high waves.

Typhoon Danas, the 24th typhoon of the season, was about 70 Km west of Okinoerabu island, after passing near the southern Japanese island of Okinawa, the agency said.

The typhoon was expected to approach the southern island of Kyushu on Tuesday.

Danas, travelling north-northwest at a speed of 35 Km per hour, had maximum sustained winds of 180 Km per hour and gusts of 252 Km per hour, the agency said.

Up to 200 millimetres of rain was forecast for southern Kyushu by Tuesday evening, and up to 180 millimetres for the Amami region and northern Kyushu, the agency said. (dpa/NAN)