A powerful tropical storm pounded China's southern coast with heavy winds and rain today, killing at least two people and flooding scores of homes.
More than a half million people had been evacuated from their homes. Tropical Storm Chanchu, which was downgraded earlier from a typhoon, hit the city of Shantou in Guangdong province overnight before moving north into Fujian province before dawn, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
Two children were killed when their homes collapsed on top of them near Shantou, Xinhua said. The storm also flooded nearly 200 homes and cut electricity in the area.
Chanchu, the strongest-ever typhoon reported in the South China Sea in May, was expected to move northeast along the coast at about 20 mph, entering the East China Sea later today. It had winds of 98 mph near its centre, the Hong Kong Observatory said.
China said it had moved 630,000 people to safety in Guangdong and Fujian provinces, although it wasn't clear where they were staying. Nearly 100,000 ships were also ordered to return to harbour, Xinhua said.
Some 26 flights out of Fujian were also were cancelled, and Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines cancelled 38 flights headed for Hong Kong and the nearby mainland city of Shenzhen, Xinhua said.
The typhoon had been heading toward Hong Kong earlier this week, but it changed course overnight, swirling about 140 miles east of the city on Wednesday afternoon. The storm kicked up high waves and spawned showers but caused no major damage in the city.
AP