Twelve people were killed in southern China on Monday in a landslide triggered by Tropical Storm Gemi, while flooding occurred in the northeastern part of the country and rail problems were reported elsewhere.
Winds accompanying the Gemi storm, which has been downgraded from a typhoon to a tropical storm, had largely eased by Monday, but many parts of China remained on flood alert due to earlier rains. More rain could follow the tropical storm in cities already hit by heavy rains, weather services warned.
Twelve people were killed in a landslide near the city of Hengyang in Hunan province this morning, leaving 18 others trapped, state broadcaster CCTV reported. Six injured survivors were rescued. Hunan authorities also issued a flood warning as heavy rains continued in the province today.
Meanwhile, two officials, including the vice mayor of Linjiang city in Jilin province, are missing, CCTV added, citing municipal authorities. More than 27,000 people in northeast China have been evacuated from their homes and hundreds of factories have been suspended.
Gemi, the strongest typhoon to hit the country this year, brought heavy rain and strong winds to coastal cities in Fujian province on Friday as it moved inland from the southeast coast.
Authorities in Jilin province, located on the border with North Korea, this morning updated their warning for heavy rains and flash floods. Authorities in Linjiang today ordered the closure of schools, factories and businesses, warning that “major flooding may occur”.
Meanwhile, rail services were suspended in the southern province of Guangdong and the island of Hainan, while some passenger rail services resumed in the southern provinces of Fujian and Jiangxi as the storm moved north.