Typhoon Nepartak brings chaos to eastern China
First typhoon of the season causes casualties and damage along with hasty relocation of 420,000 residents in four cities in Fujian
Near half million people in Fujian province have been evacuated after Typhoon Nepartak has inflicted huge damage on Saturday, making landfall and flooding.
According to local weather bureau, the first typhoon of the season landed at 1:45 pm on Saturday in Shishi City, packing winds of up to about 100 km per hour.
An incomplete estimation showed more than 420,000 people in four cities, including the provincial capital of Fuzhou, have been urgently relocated.
China News Service said 18 workers in a iron factory in Gutian county was trapped on Saturday by a landslide that caused by days of downpours over the past days. All the workers were rescued after more than 50 armed police officers and 20 firefighters were sent to the site.
A red rainstorm alert was issued in nearby city of Putian after more than 250 mm of rain fell in about four hours early on Saturday, seeing nearly 23,000 people have fanned out to check over-strained water management systems, Xinhua said.