Beijing: At least 111 people are dead, 11 missing and over 2.1 million others displaced by floods and house collapse triggered by typhoon Saomai, the eighth and the strongest storm to hit China in 50 years, officials said on Friday.
Saomai was also dubbed as "super typhoon" by Chinese forecasters because of its huge size and high wind speeds.
By Friday morning, Saomai had left 81 dead and 11 missing in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, with 2.1 million people affected and 18,000 houses destroyed, officials from Civil Affairs Bureau of Wenzhou said.
The eighth typhoon to hit China, Saomai landed in Cangnan county of Wenzhou city on Thursday evening with wind speed of 216 km per hour, bringing torrential rains and strong winds.
In Jinxiang town of Cangnan, the bodies of 43 people, including eight children, have been retrieved from the rubble of collapsed houses, where they had sought shelter from rains and high winds, as reported.
Typhoon Saomai also brought heavy rains and winds of up to 270 km per hour in coastal and inland areas of neighbouring Fujian Province.
Rainfall in parts of the province exceeded 200 mm in 24 hours, according to the provincial meteorological observatory.
Two people died in Fuding City, the provincial officials said.
Twelve people in two vessels from Taiwan Province and a fishing boat from Fujian have been rescued by local maritime workers, said the provincial flood control office.
China has deployed some 20,000 soldiers to help the local government and people in carrying our rescue and relief operations.
(With inputs from agencies)
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