Seven people were confirmed missing at 7:30 PM Wednesday, as
typhoon Kaemi triggered floods and landslides in south China's Hunan Province.
Five of the missing were from Chenzhou City, which was hard hit
by the previous tropical storm Bilis. They were buried in a
landslide. The other two people, a worker and a teacher, were
washed away by a flood, according to local authorities.
At least 100,000 people were evacuated as Kaemi lashed regions
with heavy rains. At 2 PM Wednesday, rainfall in Hunan had reached
156 millimeters, said Li Zuxian, head of the provincial
meteorological observatory.
Li added that heavy rains would continue over the next couple of
days and Hunan would continue to feel the impact of Kaemi till
Saturday.
He warned people to closely monitor swollen dams and overflowing
rivers.
The provincial government has assembled 66 boats for rescue and
relief operations. Ten thousand soldiers are ready to fight floods,
with rain soaking large parts of Hunan.
Typhoon Bilis claimed 356 lives in Hunan and left 89 missing.
800,000 people were forced to evacuate.
Kaemi, the fifth typhoon to hit China this year, reached land at
11:45 PM on Monday at Taitung in Taiwan and stormed into southeast
China's Fujian Province at 3:50 PM Tuesday.
(Xinhua News Agency July 27, 2006)