Typhoon Mujigae: 19 deaths reported in China

The number of deaths rose to 19 after typhoon Mujigae struck the southern province of Guangdong in China on Sunday.

Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday that seven people died in tornadoes caused by the typhoon, while seven were killed by landslides. Four fishermen are missing and three fishermen died in boat accidents at sea. Xinhua also said that one person died due to the collapse of the house during the storm.

The typhoon caused extensive blackouts and cut-off water supply in some areas of Zhanjiang. Power grids were damaged by the strong wind along the sea coast. The authorities announced cancellation of dozens of flights and trains.

The civil affairs department of Guangdong said that the province lost 23.24 billion yuan (AU$3.66 billion) due to the storm, affecting the lives of millions of people and destroying about 282,700 hectares of cropland.

The state agency also reported the death of a person who was killed by a falling tree in the Guangxi province. Around 1.9 million people suffered from huge losses in the province.

With a speed of 60 metres per second, the typhoon attacked Zhanjiang at 2:10 p.m. on Sunday. “Mujigae is a super-fast attacker that has not been seen in decades. At least I have not seen in the last 30 years as a forecaster,” chief expert at meteorological station in Guangdong province, Lin Liangxun, said.

The typhoon named “Mujigae, which means “rainbow” in Korean, struck China, passing through Taiwan and the Philippines on Saturday. The typhoon made thousands of people migrate in southern China before it reached its destination. Rescue operations are being conducted for the lost fishermen who went to the sea before the typhoon hit the regions.

The worst part is that the typhoon hit the nation when the people were enjoying holidays to celebrate the National Day on Oct. 1.

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