Typhoon Rananim kills 115

2004-08-14 08:51

Shanghai - The most-powerful typhoon to hit China in seven years roared inland after killing 115 people along the coast and mowing a swathe of destruction though farms, towns and fishing ports, state media reported.

Typhoon Rananim weakened to a tropical storm after crossing into landlocked Jiangxi province, where it brought heavy rain to China's central lakes region, meteorologists said.

Sixteen other people were missing in Zhejiang province, just south of Shanghai, where the typhoon made landfall on Thursday night with winds of more than 160km/h, reported China Central Television.

At least 1 800 people were injured, 185 of them seriously, while 42 000 houses were destroyed and tens of thousands more damaged, said various government reports on Friday.

Deaths caused by collapsing houses

Television and newspaper pictures showed people caught in the open crouching to avoid being blown over by gales and flying rain.

Massive waves pounded fishing ports, where cement blocks had been added to reinforce waterbreaks, while ferries and small boats were tied up at dock.

Other boats were caught at sea, but there were no immediate reports of any lost.

Most of the deaths were caused by collapsing houses, said an official at the Zhejiang anti-flood headquarters in the provincial capital of Hangzhou.

"Other deaths were caused by falling electricity poles (and) people falling into rivers," said the official, who wouldn't give his name.

Authorities had evacuated 410 000 people from the storm's path, many from rural villages where raging wind and rain destroyed huge swathes of crops and killed thousands of livestock, reported the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

Power in the major city of Taizhou was knocked out and millions of people lost water and phone service, it said.

- AP