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Kaemi makes landfall; 500,000 moved
By Xin Dingding in Beijing and Zheng Caixiong in Guangzhou (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-07-26 06:19

Typhoon Kaemi struck the coast of East China's Fujian Province yesterday afternoon, prompting the evacuation of more than 500,000 residents.

Soldiers patrol dykes shortly before Typhoon Kaemi makes a landfall at Jinjiang in East China's Fujian Province.
Soldiers patrol dykes shortly before Typhoon Kaemi makes a landfall at Jinjiang in East China's Fujian Province. [Xinhua]
The typhoon which pummelled Taiwan overnight, causing widespread disruption to daily life but not enormous damage packed winds of up to 120 kilometres per hour as it landed at Weitou town of Jinjiang city at 3:50 pm, the China Meteorological Administration reported.

Meteorologists forecast that Kaemi the fifth typhoon of the year would move northwest and bring torrential rains to Fujian, Guangdong, Jiangxi and Zhejiang provinces in the next two days.

In anticipation of Kaemi's wrath, more than 435,000 people were evacuated from Fujian, while another 80,000 were moved from their homes in neighbouring Zhejiang Province.

The typhoon had earlier brushed past the Philippines, causing heavy rain there.

The evacuees in Fujian include those working in fish farms on the sea, fishermen and residents in low-lying areas, Xinhua News Agency said.

About 44,000 fishing boats were ordered to return to harbour by yesterday, while flights from Xiamen city were postponed or cancelled.

Local authorities were advised to monitor the safety of people living in makeshift shelters at coal mines and in mountainous areas and to boost patrols along reservoirs and dams in preparation for flooding.

Fujian is ready with 12,000 tents, 50,000 quilts, 80,000 items of clothing and a five-day supply of food for 300,000 people, Xinhua said.

Guangdong Province urged all fishing ships to return to local shelters and ordered construction sites to stop work during storms.

In Shantou alone, more than 2,700 ships have returned to harbours, with all fishermen leaving the vessels by noon yesterday.

Frequent storms and typhoons since June have resulted in heavy casualties and huge losses.
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