A worker removes an electric fan from a temporary dormitory that collapsed as Typhoon Lekima sweeps through eastern China. Photo / AP
A worker removes an electric fan from a temporary dormitory that collapsed as Typhoon Lekima sweeps through eastern China. Photo / AP
At least 18 people were killed Saturday after Typhoon Lekima struck China's coast south of Shanghai, knocking down houses and trees, state TV reported.
Another 14 people were missing after Lekima hit land in Zhejiang province, the report said. It said more than 200 houses collapsed and 3,200 were damaged.
The deaths occurred in Yongjia County on the outskirts of Wenzhou, a major port city, state TV reported. It said a river that was blocked by a landslide rose 10m and then broke through the debris, flooding homes.
More than 1 million people were evacuated before the storm struck, the official Xinhua News Agency said. That included 253,000 in Shanghai.
State TV said 3,023 airline flights in Shanghai, Hangzhou and other cities and some train services were canceled. Authorities in Shanghai also shut down the high-speed magnetic levitation train to Pudong International Airport.
