BEIJING — A typhoon pummeled China’s eastern coast Sunday, toppling houses, flooding villages and forcing nearly a million people to flee to safety.
Officials rode bicycles to distribute food to residents trapped by rising waters.
Typhoon Morakot struck after triggering the worst flooding in Taiwan 50 years, leaving dozens missing and feared dead and toppling a six-story hotel. It earlier lashed the Philippines, killing at least 21 people.
Morakot, which means “emerald” in Thai, made landfall in China’s eastern Fujian province, carrying heavy rain and winds of 119 kilometres per hour, according the China Meteorological Administration.
At least one child died after a house collapsed on him in Zhejiang province.
Flood control officials in Shanghai released water stored in inland rivers to reduce levels in preparation, Xinhua said.
About 1 million people were evacuated from China’s eastern coastal provinces Authorities in Fujian called 48,000 boats back to harbour.