September 23, 2013 -- Updated 1136 GMT (1936 HKT)
At least 25 people have died after Typhoon Usagi slammed into southern China, state-run broadcaster CCTV reported Monday. FULL STORY
Typhoon Usagi hits southern China, killing at least 25
September 23, 2013 -- Updated 1045 GMT (1845 HKT)
This NASA Terra satellite image
from September 19, 2013 shows Typhoon Usagi nearing the Philippines and
southern Taiwan. It forced evacuations and several injuries and at least
25 deaths in southern China.
HIDE CAPTION
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Typhoon Usagi damaged hundreds of houses in Guangdong province
- More than 200,000 people had to be relocated because of the storm
- Hong Kong, which had been in its path, avoided a severe impact
- Airlines are scrambling to deal with hundreds of canceled flights
Bringing strong winds and
heavy rain, Usagi forced the relocation of hundreds of thousands of
people, the cancellation of hundreds of flights and the closing of a
major shipping lane.
"Usagi has devastated the eastern part of Guangdong," where it made landfall late Sunday, the state-run news agency Xinhua said.
The storm trashed
construction sites, damaged hundreds of homes and cut off power and
water, the news agency reported. Twenty-five people have so far been
confirmed dead, it said.
Typhoon Usagi strikes southern China
At one point the most
powerful storm so far this year, Usagi has menaced the region for days.
It left at least two people dead and three others missing in the
Philippines and at least nine people injured in Taiwan.
The typhoon weakened
Sunday as it got nearer to the Chinese coast, but was still packing
sustained winds of around 160 kilometers per hour (100 mph) when it hit
land. By Monday afternoon, it had faded to become a tropical depression.
The densely populated
financial center of Hong Kong, which had appeared to be in the storm's
path before it began to track in a more northerly direction on Sunday,
avoided the worst of its fury.
Seventeen people in the territory sought medical attention, eight of whom were admitted to hospitals, authorities said.
Flights disrupted
Usagi, which means rabbit in Japanese, also wreaked havoc on transportation, forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights at Hong Kong International Airport, according to airport officials.
With thousands of
passengers stranded, airlines and airport authorities were scrambling to
deal with the backlog as flights resumed Monday.
Major Chinese airlines,
including China Southern Air, canceled flights into the provinces of
Guangdong and Fujian, Xinhua reported.
In preparation for the
storm's arrival, four of six reactors at the Daya Bay Nuclear Power
Station in Shenzhen reduced their operating capacity, Guangdong
authorities told Xinhua.
A total of 226,000 people were relocated in Guangdong, the news agency cited the local civil affairs bureau as saying.
The typhoon severely damaged or destroyed 7,100 houses, it reported.
In neighboring Fujian
Province, more than 80,000 people were evacuated and 50,000
disaster-relief personnel were deployed, Xinhua reported.
A major shipping lane
between Guangdong province, Hong Kong and Taiwan was closed Saturday in
anticipation of the storm's arrival.
More than 22,000 fishing boats in Fujian and another 48,000 in Guangdong have been ordered into port, authorities told Xinhua.
East Asia is buffeted for several months a year by heavy storms that roll in from the Pacific. At its peak, Usagi eclipsed Super Typhoon Utor, which hit the Philippines and South China last month, as the strongest storm of the year so far.
About 50 people died as result of Utor in China, and 11 people were killed in the Philippines.
TOP ASIA STORIES
- Militant attack kills 5 police officers in Pakistan's Balochistan
- Suicide bombers attack Pakistan church, 81 dead
- Images indicate N. Korea rocket engine tests
- Thai locals arrested over Rihanna Instagram photo
- Sebastian Vettel wins Singapore Grand Prix
-
Bo Xilai found guilty on all charges
|
Bo's downfall
- North Korea cancels family reunions
- Pakistan releases Afghan Taliban's former second-in-command
- Gunman kills 3 American soldiers in Afghanistan
- copy http://edition.cnn.com
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário