China typhoon so far claims 32 lives


FE Team | Published: August 11, 2019 20:40:48 | Updated: August 12, 2019 15:16:38


China typhoon so far claims 32 lives

The death toll from a typhoon in eastern China rose to 32 on Sunday, with 16 people missing, state broadcaster CCTV reported, as the country braced for more travel disruptions as the storm moved further north up the coast.

A Reuters report said typhoon Lekima made landfall early on Saturday in the eastern province of Zhejiang with winds gusting to 187 km (116 miles) per hour, causing travel chaos with thousands of flights canceled and rail operations suspended.

In Zhejiang, many of the deaths occurred about 130 km north of the coastal city of Wenzhou, where a natural dam collapsed in an area deluged with 160 mm (6.3 inches) of rain within just three hours, causing a landslide.

The Ministry of Emergency Management said that more than one million people had been evacuated in Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces and the financial hub of Shanghai due to the typhoon.

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