Typhoon Lekima leaves 32 dead in eastern China

At least 32 people have died after Typhoon Lekima battered eastern China over the weekend, with the storm now moving further north up the coast, Reuters reports, citing Chinese state media.
Lekima made landfall early on Saturday in Zhejiang province with winds gusting to 187 kilometers 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 of rain within three hours, causing a landslide.
According to China's Ministry of Emergency Management, more than one million people had been evacuated in Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces and the financial hub of Shanghai due to the typhoon.
State media reports showed rescuers wading in waist-high waters to evacuate people from their homes.
Lekima, China’s ninth typhoon this year, is expected to make a second landing along the coastline in Shandong province, prompting more flight cancellations and the closure of some expressways.
It has already damaged more than 189,000 hectares of crops and 36,000 homes in Zhejiang, provincial authorities said, estimating the economic losses at 16.6 billion yuan (US$2.35 billion).
Over 3,200 flights were canceled since Saturday, state broadcaster CCTV reported, although some suspensions on high-speed railway lines were lifted on Sunday.
-- Contact us at [email protected]
RC
-
Four recommendations for I&T development in Hong Kong Dr. Winnie Tang
As the Central Government has clearly shown its support to Hong Kong to develop as an international innovation and technology (I&T) centre, we should seize this golden opportunity. I would like to
-
For HK to improve its deteriorating image, starting point is HK Frank Ching
Less than a month after assuming office, Chief Executive John Lee faces a major stumbling block in his much ballyhooed campaign to promote Hong Kong in the international community by “telling a good
-
Who is not on the Bauhinia award list? Ben Kwok
A record number of people made to the Bauhinia Honours List of public service this year. A total of 493 people were honoured as members of the community and public servants who have made significant
-
Towards a bold yet measured reopening of Hong Kong Brian YS Wong
Hong Kong must reopen, promptly. Hong Kongers know this. Tell this to the thousands stranded abroad, keenly awaiting the next flight – and hotel slots – back to their hometown. Tell this to the many
-
Cutting data’s carbon footprint for a more sustainable Hong Kong Sanjay Rohatgi
The creation, processing, and management of data have forever changed the world. Consider the fact that the amount of data generated each year worldwide is expected to grow to 175 zettabytes (ZB) by