China Daily Global Edition (USA)

1 dead, 27 missing after Megi strikes East China

- By HUMEIDONG in Fuzhou and XUWEI in Beijing Contact the writers at xuwei@chinadaily.com.cn

A landslide triggered by Typhoon Megi left 27 people missing in Lishui, Zhejiang province, on Wednesday, according to the news office of the provincial government.

A number of homes were hit in Sucun village in Suichang county, the local authoritie­s said.

Rescuers pulled two female villagers alive from the debris. About 400 rescuers were at the scene.

Meanwhile, thousands of people were relocated, as roads and streets were flooded. Megi made landfall in Fujian province on Wednesday morning, killing at least one person and leaving a trail of destructio­n.

Four people were killed in Taiwan as the typhoon crossed the island on Tuesday.

Megi, the 17th typhoon this year, brought downpours to the coastal areas of Fujian as it packed winds of over 118 km/h, according to meteorolog­ical authoritie­s.

The typhoon also forced the relocation of 122,600 people in Quanzhou.

The one person who died was killed as the downpour triggered a flash flood and hit his residentia­l compound in Dehua county on Wednesday.

In Fuzhou, the provincial capital, the typhoon brought down pours that flooded streets and left thousands of residents stranded in their homes.

“I was expecting a downpour with the typhoon, but I did not expect the floods on the streets would linger for such a long time,” said a nurse from Taijing Hospital in Fuzhou, who would only provide her surname, Xu.

Some communitie­s have offered residents free rides in rubber boats to commute out of their flooded communitie­s to work places, hospitals, railway stations or airports.

The Fuzhou airport canceled more than 100 flights in and out of the airport in response to the typhoon, and the provincial railway authoritie­s canceled about 100 trains.

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