At least 15 dead in China storms

BEIJING (AFP) - At least 15 people were killed as Typhoon Sepat battered China's southeastern coast, spinning off a tornado that left a trail of devastation inland, state media reported yesterday.

The tornado cut a corridor of destruction 800 metres wide in eastern Zhejiang province, destroying 156 houses Saturday around Wenzhou City, leaving 13 dead and more than 60 injured, six seriously, Xinhua news agency said.

In southeastern Fujian province, two people were confirmed dead and another reported missing after Typhoon Sepat triggered flooding and mudslides.

Authorities had evacuated nearly one million people from the province and neighbouring areas before Sepat landed in Fujian early yesterday packing winds of 119 kilometres (75 miles) per hour, Xinhua said.

The latest victim, a man in his 40s, died when a landslide triggered by a downpour knocked the van he was travelling in off a road. Eighteen other occupants managed to escape the incident which happened in Cangnan County, Wenzhou City, Xinhua reported late yesterday.

Sepat brought rainfall of 40 millimetres per hour to Wencheng County, disrupting power supply in eight townships and villages.

The typhoon left a trail of damage, flooding roads, lifting roofs off houses and uprooting trees and billboards, Xinhua said, citing a local flood control official.

Expressways in Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian, were closed, while 266 domestic and international flights from three provincial airports were cancelled, Xinhua said.

A six-car goods train was derailed west of Fuzhou after a portion of track was swept away. No injuries were reported and workers restored the line, the agency said.

The typhoon dumped 300 millimetres of rain over 24 hours in some parts of the province, damaging homes, crops and downing power lines. More damage was expected in Hui'an county, the official said, as weathermen reported heavy rain in a number of cities in Fujian.

Xinhua said late yesterday that rainstorms in the province would continue for two days.

Altogether more than 100 million dollars worth of damage to crops and property was reported in Zhejiang and Fujian, as Sepat headed inland to Jiangxi province. Losing power and downgraded to a tropical storm, Sepat still carried heavy rainfall that could trigger flooding, Xinhua said.

In Taiwan, a clean-up is under way after Sepat devastated parts of the island on Saturday, leaving 24 people injured.

Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau said the storm brought torrential rain and powerful winds that triggered mudslides, uprooted trees and disrupted transport across the island.

Wide swathes of China have been plagued by near-constant torrential downpours since the summer rainy season began.

Rains brought by tropical storm Pabuk in south China's Guangdong province earlier in August affected more than one million people and destroyed thousands of houses, state media reports said.

The latest government figures show that extreme weather killed 712 people and left 163 missing across China in July alone.

In Central China's Hunan Province, mines have been ordered to suspend operation in the next three days as Sepat draws near. Local governments are evacuating people in low-lying regions and have all the reservoirs monitored around the clock, Xinhua said.