Strait shipping suspended as Bebinca reaches S China

HAIKOU -- Train and shipping services across the Qiongzhou Strait have been suspended due to the arrival of tropical storm Bebinca in south China's Hainan province, local marine authorities said.

Passenger ferries have been ordered to dock at a port in Hainan, according to the maritime affairs bureau of Zhanjiang, a coastal city in Guangdong Province that is linked to Hainan by the strait.

Bebinca made landfall in Tanmen Township in Hainan's city of Qionghai at 11:10 am, the local meteorological department said.

The tropical storm has brought strong rain to Hainan, the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and the South China Sea, with precipitation in Tanmen expected to reach 30 to 60 cm.

The bureau said an emergency response system is in effect, adding that rescue ships have been deployed to ensure safety in nearby waters.