The most powerful storm to hit the Chinese mainland in 50 years,
Typhoon Saomai, has left at least 98 people dead and 149 missing in
east China, according to local government sources.
Eighty-one of the dead and 11 of the missing were in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, where 2.1 million people
were affected and 18,000 houses were destroyed, said the civil
affairs bureau of Wenzhou on Friday.
Seventeen of the dead and 138 of the missing were in Fujian Province, said the flood control office
of Fujian. More than 1.4 million people were affected by the
typhoon and 32,000 houses were destroyed in Fujian.
Saomai, the eighth typhoon to hit China this year, hit Cangnan
County of Wenzhou City at 5:25 PM Thursday with wind speeds of 216
km per hour and bringing with it torrential rains and powerful
winds.
Emergency relief materials worth 500,000 yuan (US$62,500),
including quilts and medicine, were sent on Friday to Cangnan from
Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang, said the provincial Red Cross
Society.
Typhoon Saomai also brought heavy rains and winds of up to 270
km per hour in coastal and inland areas of neighboring Fujian
Province. Rainfall in parts of the province exceeded 200 mm in 24
hours, according to the provincial meteorological observatory.
More than 10,000 houses were destroyed and 80,000 others were
damaged in Fuding, said the official. Power was largely cut off in
Fuding, Xiapu, Zherong, Fu'an and Ningde. Twelve people in two
vessels from Taiwan Province and a fishing boat from Fujian have
been rescued by local maritime workers, said the provincial flood
control office. They had been reported missing after failing to
anchor in Fuding because of high winds.
The provincial government has allocated 2 million yuan
(US$250,000) in cash and a batch of disaster relief materials,
including 1,500 tens, 3,000 quilts and 50,000 pieces of clothes to
Saomai-hit areas.
Typhoon Saomai had weakened into a tropical depression by 9 AM
Friday. Its center was over Yingtan City, Jiangxi Province, at 10 AM and it was
continuing to lose force, said the provincial meteorological
observatory.
(Xinhua News Agency August 11, 2006)