Typhoon hits China, 1.24 million evacuated
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-08-07 09:20

Typhoon Matsa battered China's eastern coast with strong winds and heavy rain on Saturday morning, killing one and forcing more than a million people to flee their homes, the Reuters reported.

The domestic airport in the country's financial hub, Shanghai, was shut and most international departures were cancelled. Debris and small floods clogged streets after downpours in the night.

A shed on one of the city's many construction sites collapsed in the rain, killing one person and injuring two, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Matsa made landfall before dawn in coastal Zhejiang province, where officials evacuated over 1.24 million people.

It then headed northwest, threatening the scenic provincial capital of Hangzhou, and rains from the massive storm could reach as far north as capital Beijing.

Residents of badly hit towns waded waist-deep through swirling muddy waters, patrolled by officials in inflatable boats, television pictures showed. The elderly were carried to safety from the rising waters on bamboo stretchers.

Safe harbors have been arranged for 41,000 ships and regional authorities have been urged to lower water levels behind rain-swollen dams to try to avoid flooding.

Landslides blocked a highway in the province, which workers were struggling to clear with earth-movers amid howling winds and heavy rain.

Some coastal bus services have been suspended and Hangzhou bay residents were told to keep away from the river in case of tidal waves. Ningbo port, the country's second largest in terms of handling capacity, was closed on Friday.

In Taiwan, Matsa shut down schools, government offices and financial markets Taipei, and caused flooding and mudslides in rural areas.

In July, Typhoon Haitang killed 12 people on the island, where three others are still missing.

No casualties have been reported from Matsa in the island, but initial farm damage was estimated at T$36 million (US$1.1 million), while more than 50,000 households were left without electricity and 100,000 families had no tap water, the "National Fire Agency" said.

Maximum sustained winds of 144 km (89 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 180 km (112 miles) per hour were recorded.

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