3 missing as typhoon-triggered flood hits East China

FUZHOU -- A search for three people is underway after a fire engine was swept away by a typhoon-triggered flood in Fuzhou city, East China's Fujian province, in the early hours of Tuesday.

At around 4:15 am, a fire engine carrying nine people was swept away in Chili village, Yongtai county, by floodwaters during a rescue operation, according to the National Fire and Rescue Administration. As of 8 am, six people had been rescued.

Typhoon Haikui, the 11th typhoon of this year, landed in the coastal area of Dongshan county of Fujian at around 5:20 am, bringing gales of up to 20 meters per second near its center, the Fujian meteorological observatory said.

Fuzhou has been hit by heavy rainfall due to Haikui. From 6 am Monday to 6 am Tuesday, the 24-hour rainfall in areas including Yongtai exceeded 300 mm.