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Heavy rains from Typhoon Kaemi pound China, four dead
Beijing (AFP) Jul 26, 2006 The typhoon, which hit southeast China's Fujian province on Tuesday packing winds of 120 kilometers (74 miles) an hour, was downgraded to a tropical storm on Wednesday morning but still caused widespread chaos. Two workers in a quarry in the southern province of Hainan were killed and another person was missing following a storm-induced landslide on Tuesday, the Xinhua news agency reported. Another two people were killed Wednesday in southern China's Guangdong province during a "geological disaster" related to the storms, the central government's flood relief headquarters said in a statement, without specifying. Across the south and east of China areas still reeling from Tropical Storm Bilis, which killed more than 600 people this month, authorities were implementing emergency measures to cope with the relentless rain. More than 643,000 people were evacuated from Fujian as the typhoon approached, Xinhua said, while another 80,000 were moved from their homes in neighboring Zhejiang province. After Kaemi made landfall, the Fujian meteorological bureau issued an emergency order to prepare for flooding and landslides with up to 12 centimeters (4.8 inches) of rain along the coast. Warnings of further flooding were also issued in Guangdong and Zhejiang, with authorities expecting heavy rain for the rest of the week. "Although Kaemi did not hit our province, we cannot sit idly by. We must prepare for the aftermath of the typhoon and prevent flood disasters caused by heavy rains," local press cited Guangdong vice governor Li Ronggen as saying. "We must pay special attention to the safety of reservoirs and disasters like landslides, evacuate those in dangerous areas and prevent mishaps that can kill or injure people." Shanghai, China's economic heart on the east coast to the north of Fujian, appeared to have missed the worst of the weather with strong winds but no heavy rain on Wednesday, but authorities there were also taking precautions. Shanghai officials requested people and boats to evacuate from coastal areas and near rivers. Residents were also asked to inspect billboards, electricity poles, and makeshift shelters at construction sites to ensure flying debris did not cause damage. Bilis was similarly downgraded from a typhoon to a tropical storm before it hit China on July 14. It hovered over the south and center of the country for nearly 10 days, dumping massive rains and wreaking havoc in cities as well as mountainous areas. The death toll in China from Bilis stood at 612 with another 208 people missing, state media said on Monday. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters When the Earth Quakes A world of storm and tempest
Last Japanese troops return from Iraq
Somahara Base, Japan (AFP) Jul 25, 2006 The last Japanese troops returned home from Iraq on Tuesday, bringing an end to the pacifist nation's most significant military operation since World War II. |
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