Typhoon Kai-tak Weakens in South China After 500000 Evacuated
Typhoon Kai-tak weakened into a tropical depression after blowing over houses, triggering floods and causing more than 500,000 people to be evacuated as it swept through the south of China.
The typhoon will continue to cause rainstorms in Yunnan province and China’s southern regions today, after weakening when it reached northern Vietnam at 2:00 p.m. China time yesterday, the China Meteorological Administration said.
Floods triggered by the typhoon caused the emergency evacuation of 526,000 people in the provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan, while more than 3,000 houses collapsed in its wake, the Xinhua News Agency reported, citing the Ministry of Civil Affairs. It caused one death while two people remain missing, according to the report.
More than 700 villagers near Qinzhou, a port city about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of China’s border with Vietnam, were trapped in their homes, Xinhua said in a separate report.
Flooding due to the typhoon rains affected more than 60,000 in districts near Qinzhou, with more than 8,700 people evacuated to safety, according to the Xinhua report, which cited flood control authorities.
Hong Kong on August 17 lowered its tropical cyclone warning, first to a No. 3 Strong Wind Signal and then to a No. 1 Standby Signal, as Typhoon Kai-tak passed, the Hong Kong Observatory said on its website.
Category: Society
