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At least 12 dead in China storms
Beijing (AFP) Aug 19, 2007 At least 12 people were killed as a tornado ripped through the coast of eastern China while Typhoon Sepat battered the country further south, state media reported on Sunday. The tornado cut a corridor of destruction 800 metres wide in Zhejiang province, destroying 156 houses Saturday around Wenzhou City. Nine people were killed and eight left in a serious condition, Xinhua news agency said. In southern Fujian province, two people were confirmed dead and another reported missing after Typhoon Sepat triggered flooding and mudslides. Chinese meteorologists have issued the highest-level warnings for Sepat, which was moving northwest at 15 to 20 kilometres (12.5 miles) per hour and was expected to hit Jiangxi province later Sunday. Sepat landed in Fujian overnight packing winds of 119 kilometres per hour, Xinhua said. The typhoon lost power after making landfall but still left a trail of damage, flooding roads, lifting roofs off houses and uprooting trees and billboards, Xinhua said, citing a local flood control official. Expressways in Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian, were closed, while 266 domestic and international flights from three provincial airports were cancelled, Xinhua said. A six-car goods train was derailed west of the provincial capital of Fuzhou after a portion of track was swept away. No injuries were reported and workers restored the line, the agency said. More damage was expected in Hui'an county, the official said, as weathermen reported heavy rain in a number of cities in Fujian. More than 900,000 people in southern and eastern Chinese provinces had earlier been relocated, including some 540,000 people in Fujian, Xinhua said, citing government officials. In Taiwan, a clean-up was under way after Sepat devastated parts of the island on Saturday, leaving 24 people injured. Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau said the storm brought torrential rain and powerful winds that triggered mudslides, uprooted trees and disrupted transport across the island. Wide swathes of China have been plagued by near-constant torrential downpours since the summer rainy season began. Rains brought by tropical storm Pabuk in south China's Guangdong province earlier in August affected more than one million people and destroyed thousands of houses, state media reportes said. According to the latest government figures, extreme weather killed 712 people and left 163 missing across China in July alone. 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
The quake escape
Tambo De Mora, Peru (AFP) Aug 17, 2007As Peru's powerful earthquake brought down their prison's walls and lights, 66 guards could only watch helplessly while nearly 700 inmates escaped into the night. |
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