Damrey, the 18th typhoon to hit China this year, has claimed 16
lives in south China's Hainan
Province after it slammed into the island province early Monday
morning.
Damrey landed to the north of Wanning City in the eastern part
of Hainan Province at about 4:00 AM?on Monday.
Sixteen?people have so far been confirmed dead, most of
them killed when a building collapsed on them.
The cost of damage to the island has risen past 8.46 billion
yuan (US$1.04 billion), as estimated by the Ministry of Civil
Affairs yesterday.
Damrey ravaged the island for about 15 hours, causing heavy
economic losses to Hainan, famous for its beach resorts and
tropical fruit. It will take about 25 days before the province's
power grid resumes normal functions, local authorities said.
More than 5,000 houses collapsed, and 3.89 million people
affected. About 111,000 hectares of farmland is flooded while Fish-
and prawn-rearing ponds, coastal dikes and other water conservancy
facilities were also breached.
Damrey continued its trail of fury and slammed into Vietnam
yesterday, cutting power supplies and uprooting trees there.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime event," said Zhang Dong, a
fisherman at the Qinglan Harbour of Wenchang, pointing to a sunken
ship. "I've never seen such big wind in the last 40 years. We tied
the boats together in the harbor, but most were still damaged."
The effects of Damrey were felt in Guangdong
Province as well where torrential rain hampered rescue and
recovery efforts. The downpour is expected to continue today and
tomorrow in Zhanjiang on the Leizhou Peninsula. Ferry services
across the Qiongzhou Strait had not resumed by yesterday afternoon,
but services were scheduled to reopen by noon today.
More than 1,000 passengers and 600 vehicles were still stranded
in Xuwen County at the southern tip of the peninsula yesterday.
Ministry figures showed that 436,000 people had been evacuated
from Guangdong, Guangxi
and Hainan and that 5.71 million people in total have been
affected.
Ferry services between Hainan and the mainland resumed on
Tuesday.
(China Daily and Xinhua News Agency September 28,
2005)
