Typhoon Haikui hits east coast
Third cyclone in a week sends China spiralling into a whirlwind of flood woes
HANGZHOU: Typhoon Haikui, the third typhoon to hit China in the last week, brought downpours and floods to east China after landing in Zhejiang province.
Haikui landed in Hepu township, Xiangshan county near the Sanmenwan Gulf in central Zhejiang with a maximum wind speed of 150kph.
“Provincial authorities evacuated 1.5 million people in preparation for the storm, as it is expected to remain in the province for 24 hours before moving to neighbouring Anhui province,” said provincial meteorological bureau head Li Jian.
Rain-triggered flooding stranded about 130 people in three hotels in the city of Lin’an, local rescuers said, adding that 123 people had been rescued thus far. Roads to the hotels were flooded, forcing the rescuers to walk the last 2km on foot.
Another 300 tourists were stranded in a scenic area in Anji County after a bridge linking the scenic spot and the foot of a nearby mountain was destroyed.
The bridge had been briefly fixed on Tuesday and some tourists were rescued, but the bridge was severed again yesterday morning after more rains hit the area.
The rains also caused 12 townships to lose power.
Railway authorities have cancelled all passenger trains departing from and arriving at the cities of Hangzhou and Ningbo in Zhejiang, while Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport temporarily closed due to strong winds.
Meanwhile, the neighbouring city of Shanghai has prepared for the storm by relocating 374,000 people, as gales and downpours were expected to hit the city.
Shanghai has also closed all the parks and construction sites and asked employers to give their staff a day off.
Haikui is the third typhoon to wallop China’s eastern coast in a week after storms Saola and Damrey hit the region over the weekend. — Xinhua