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Thousands flee coast as Bilis churns ashore

www.chinanews.cn 2006-07-15 18:59:22

(Source: Xinhua/Shanghai Daily)

Dark rain clouds hang over the coast near Fuzhou, capital of southeast
China's Fujian Province. (Photo: Shanghai Daily)

Photo taken on July 14, 2006 shows a billow at a dam in Shitang Township
of Wenling, a city in east China's Zhejiang Province. Strong winds and
heavy rainfall caused by tropical storm Bilis hit the coastal regions of
Zhejiang Province on July 14. (Photo: Xinhua)

July 15 - China's emergency authorities evacuated 326,000 people from
low-lying areas, ordered hundreds of ships to take shelter and canceled
dozens of flights as Tropical Storm Bilis crashed into the mainland's
eastern coast on Friday.
Bilis, which weakened from a typhoon to a tropical storm early yesterday
after lashing Taiwan, hit Fujian Province in the early afternoon.
The storm landed in Xiapu County, 220 kilometers northeast of the
provincial capital Fuzhou.
Top wind speed near the storm's center was 108 kilometers an hour.
The storm was forecast to gradually loose strength as it headed inland at
15 kilometers an hour.
In Fujian, 256,000 people were evacuated to safety, 42,000 ships were
called in from the sea and schools canceled classes.
In Zhejiang Province, where Bilis brought winds measuring up to 100
kilometers an hour, 70,000 residents were evacuated and 180,000 ships
ordered to shore.
Heavy showers began in Zhejiang around noon Thursday noon, dumping 184
millimeters of rainfall on Wenzhou.
In the northern Philippines, the death toll from Bilis rose to 14 with
seven missing. Fifteen people were injured last night. The storm hit the
country on Wednesday, causing landslides and flash floods.
"Most of the casualties were drowning victims and those buried alive by
landslides," said Gleen Rabonza, executive director of the National
Disaster Coordinating Council, adding that more than 50,000 people were
affected by the storm.
One man was electrocuted in Taipei on Thursday and two mainland Chinese
fishermen disappeared after a fishing boat ran aground off Taiwan's Matsu
Island, officials said.
Bilis caused a series of landslides that disrupted traffic in central and
eastern Taiwan but did not inflict major injuries, they said.
"Bilis' wide outer bands will continue to affect Taiwan, and residents
have to prepare for torrential rain in the next two days," forecaster Wu
Teh-rong said.
On the Chinese mainland more than a dozen flights were canceled beginning
Thursday evening at the Changle International Airport in Fuzhou, the
provincial capital.
In Shanghai, ferry services on the Huangpu River were not affected
yesterday, but passenger ships to neighboring Zhejiang and Jiangsu
provinces were halted. More than 210 flights at the city's two airports
were delayed or canceled.
Strong wind and rain were forecast for Shanghai today, with a high of 32
degrees Celsius and low of 27 degrees.

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