BEIJING: China’s southern coastal provinces of Fujian and Guangdong are facing severe flooding after torrential rainfall associated with Typhoon Saudel. The storm has flooded urban and rural areas, submerged vehicles and damaged infrastructure, while authorities continue emergency rescue and evacuation operations.
In Fuding city in Fujian, firefighters were seen wading through waist-deep floodwaters to rescue elderly residents. Floodwaters also inundated homes in nearby Jinxi village, where a three-storey building collapsed amid the heavy rain.
Authorities have closed schools, suspended public transport and activated emergency flood-control measures across several affected areas. More than 83,000 people have been evacuated in Fujian, while hundreds of thousands have been relocated across Zhejiang and neighboring provinces since late August.
Typhoon Saudel made its third landfall along the Fujian coast on Thursday, after strengthening again over the South China Sea. It is the seventh typhoon to hit China this year and the third to strike Yuhuan in eastern Zhejiang in less than two months.
Forecasters and authorities remain concerned about flash floods and landslides, as further heavy rainfall is expected across parts of southern China. Emergency teams are continuing rescue, drainage and relief operations in the worst-hit communities.
News as Reported.
