1 killed, 27 missing in landslide in China as typhoon hits

BEIJING: One person was today killed and 27 others were listed missing after a landslide swept a village in east China due to a landslide following heavy rain brought by Typhoon Megi.

Megi, the 17th typhoon this year, brought downpours to the coastal areas of the Fujian province as it made landfall in Quanzhou City with winds packing over 118 km per hour after causing havoc in Taiwan.

The landslide enveloped Sucun village in Suichang County the eastern province of Zhejiang due to heavy rain brought by the typhoon, local government said.

Several houses in the vicinity of 37 kilometres from the county, were destroyed and the structures swept away, state- run Xinhua news agency reported.

Twenty-seven people are listed missing due to the landslide.

One person was killed in a separate incident due to the typhoon, CCTV reported.

Two women were pulled out of the debris by rescuers and are in stable condition.

More than 400 rescuers are on the site and Zhejiang Vice Governor Sun Jingmiao is leading the rescue operation.

Over 18,000 people had been relocated following heavy rain.

Four counties and one city in Fujian saw more than 300 mm precipitation, while the precipitation in 15 counties, districts and cities was between 200 and 300 mm, said the provincial flood control office.

The water level of local rivers surpassed alert levels. China has already issued an orange alert for Megi.

Fuzhou, the provincial capital, was also battered by rainstorms. The city's roads and streets were waterlogged, affecting traffic.

Last week, Meranti, the strongest typhoon to hit China this year, killed at least ten people in Zhejiang, with most casualties being caused by landslides and flash floods in rural areas.