At least two people have died and thousands have been evacuated due to flooding caused by tropical storm Haikui in China’s southeast coastal province of Fujian, local authorities said on Wednesday.
Schools were closed and flights were suspended, and more than 30,000 people were transferred to safe places.
Two firefighters died after floodwaters swept away a fire truck during a rescue mission, state media reported.
Haikui swept through Taiwan like a typhoon earlier this week, leaving dozens injured and thousands of homes without power.
Meanwhile, Haikui weakened to a tropical storm as it reached Fujian, but continued to generate record levels of rainfall.
The worst affected area is between the coast and the inland mountains and is particularly prone to flooding, which has led many people over the decades to migrate to other parts of China or abroad.
Authorities have closed schools, grounded flights, stopped trains and buses and sent dozens of emergency vehicles on rescue missions.
More than 30,000 people have been evacuated and economic losses are estimated at more than $75 million, according to Chinese state media.
Some parts of Fujian recorded rainfall exceeding 30 cm, breaking records for the entire province.
In the city of Fuzhou, 50,000 people were affected, of whom more than 36,000 were taken to shelters.
China suffered some of the heaviest rains and deadliest floods in years in the summer. Dozens of people died, including in mountainous areas on the outskirts of Beijing.
Source: TSF
