Two killed by storm Kaemi in China
(AP)
Updated: 2006-07-26 18:54
Tropical storm Kaemi has weakened to a depression but killed at least two
people as it battered China's southeast after 640,000 residents were evacuated.
Coastal Fujian province was lashed with up to 10 inches (254 millimeters) of
rain and battered by winds gusting at 67 mph (107 kph) after Kaemi roared ashore
Tuesday while still a typhoon, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.
Kaemi was downgraded to a tropical storm soon after making landfall near the
city of Jinjiang in Fujian. Xinhua said it weakened to a tropical depression
early Wednesday.
A landslide killed two people in Guangdong province, which borders Fujian to
the south, the national anti-flood agency said on its Web site. The deaths were
the first reported from the storm.
More than 640,000 people were evacuated in Fujian ahead of Kaemi's arrival,
and 44,000 fishing boats returned to port. There were no reports in Fujian of
deaths, injuries or serious damage.
In the Philippines, two people were reported missing and more than 27,000
were evacuated due to floods near the capital, Manila, the National Disaster
Coordinating Council said.
Forecasters said the storm's outer band was expected to bring heavy rains
across Taiwan and southern China through Thursday.
Kaemi is named for the Korean word for ant.
It comes on the heels of tropical storm Bilis, which pounded southern China
from July 14, triggering flooding and mudslides and killing more than 600
people.
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