Print

Mail

wiki links

Ranamin death toll in China up to 131, many more feared

Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) ordered immediate relief supplies for eastern Zhejiang province where Typhoon Rananim has left at least 131 dead or missing and tens of thousands homeless, state press said Saturday.

The typhoon, one of the strongest storms to hit China in years, made landfall late Thursday in Wenling city on Zhejiang's coast 135km south of Shanghai, leaving massive destruction in its wake.

"All levels of the party and government in Zhejiang must quickly organize every aspect of society to bring in large amounts of resources in the struggle to fight the disaster," Hu was quoted by Xinhua news ageny as saying.

"All efforts must be made to rescue the injured and quickly restore water supplies, electricity, traffic and communications."

By Saturday the typhoon had been downgraded to a tropical storm as it raced inland, drenching portions of central Anhui province.

Zhejiang provincial officials said 42,400 homes were destroyed and 88,000 were damaged while 260,000 hectares of farmland were ruined and thousands of trees uprooted.

Officials said the death toll was likely to rise as rescuers sifted through the debris. So far, 115 people were confirmed dead and 16 missing.

More than 31,000 head of livestock also perished and state media said economic losses so far were 15.3 billion yuan (US$1.8 billion).
This story has been viewed 2133 times.