11 killed as typhoon hits south coast

Eleven people were killed and four missing yesterday after Typhoon Chanchu pummelled Guangdong and Fujian provinces.

The most severe typhoon on record to strike the South China Sea region during the month of May also forced the evacuation of more than 1 million people from hazardous coastal areas, according to the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Chanchu (meaning pearl in Chinese) was later in the day downgraded to a tropical storm and was heading northeast at a speed of only 25 kilometres per hour (kph) but is still set to bring heavy rainfall to the eastern regions.

Shanghai was expected to experience heavy rains throughout the day.

The China Meteorological Administration warned of severe weather in Zhejiang Province just south of the city as well as Fujian.

Of the dead, 8 were in Guangdong and 3 in neighbouring Fujian, where all the four were reported missing.

A 6-year-old girl, a 5-year-old boy and a 68-year-old man were buried alive in collapsed houses in Shantou, eastern Guangdong.

Five people perished in a traffic accident in Chaonan District of the city.

The typhoon made landfall at about 2 am yesterday in an area between Shantou and Chaozhou, according to local officials.

About 709,000 in Fujian and 327,000 in Guangdong were moved to safety.

Those evacuated from fishing boats and low-lying areas were staying with relatives, in tents, or in schools and government warehouses, said an official of the Chaozhou city government in Guangdong.

Most have yet to return home.

The typhoon caused a direct loss of 3.8 billion yuan (US$474 million) in Fujian, and affected more than 3 million residents, the provincial anti-flood headquarters said on its website.

Figures for Guangdong were not available.

Chanchu brought in its wake gusting winds and heavy rain, particularly in the cities of Jieyang, Shanwei, Shantou, Chaozhou, and Meizhou in eastern Guangdong, where it disrupted power and water supply.

Shantou was the hardest hit, with most of city flooded and thousands of houses knocked down.

Many cars, and even lorries, were seen stranded in water.

"I was driving along the street and all of a sudden, I felt the lorry swaying in the strong wind," said Zhang Qiang, a 28-year-old driver.

When he got off to seek shelter at a nearby hotel, "I felt I was being blown away by strong gusts. I was lucky to be able to grab hold of a wall," he said.

The hotel had a blackout and its lobby was flooded.

"I've never seen such strong winds in my life," said Zhong Huiling, a receptionist.

According to Shantou authorities, the worst-hit county was Nan'ao, where rain pelted down for more than 14 hours, bringing a precipitation of 239.9 millimetres.

Downtown Shantou saw rainfall of 187.1 millimetres. Uprooted trees and collapsed advertisement hoardings and street signs were strewn all over the city.

Chanchu has been blamed for 37 deaths and the destruction of thousands of homes in the Philippines last weekend.

Source: China Daily/agencies