Death toll from Typhoon Kalmaegi rises to eight

KUNMING - Death toll from Typhoon Kalmaegi has risen to eight in China Saturday as one more death was reported from southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Two others are still missing.

More than 500 rescuers have rescued 396 students and teachers from the Babu Township Middle School under siege of a typhoon-triggered flood on Friday, the provincial flood and drought relief headquarters told Xinhua.

Heavy rain brought on by Kalmaegi since Wednesday has flooded 53 counties and cities in Yunnan with more than 390,000 people affected, leaving an economic loss of 343 million yuan (55.86 million US dollars).

Nationwide, Kalmaegi has affected 5.97 million people in the southern Chinese areas of Hainan, Guangdong and Guangxi after it landed in the island province of Hainan on Tuesday morning, according to the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.

The meteorological bureaus in the affected areas are required to monitor the typhoon closely and local governments are ordered to prepare for potential landslides or mud-rock flows.