Typhoon Fitow China Stats: 5 Dead, 4 Missing, Almost Half A Million Affected

Typhoon Fitow, the strongest typhoon to hit China since 1951 that emanated from the east coast, has left at least five people dead, four missing and half a million people affected and displaced by floods.

At least 4.35 million and 210,000 people were affected when they lost their houses in the provinces of Zhejiang and Fujian, respectively, the Xinhua News reported, citing data provided by the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Monday.

Typhoon Fitow, the 23rd typhoon that struck China in 2013, landed at 1:15 am on Monday, local time in Shacheng Township of Fuding City. It had winds of up to 151 km per hour.

A 55-year-old man from Dongtou County, Wenzhou, identified as Ni Wenlin, who was out to rescue a fisherman from a nearby port along with five others, died on Sunday night when a strong wind blew toppled him off a hill, the Wenzhou Flood-Control Headquarters.

Another Wenzhou male from Cangnan County, named Chen Wanjie, died because his duck breeding factory collapsed due to the strong winds, burying him underneath.

The three other fatalities from Ruian City reportedly died due to electrocution, the People's Daily reported. Their deaths were being investigated.

The reported missing were two port workers and two fishermen.

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Typhoon Fitow not only took five lives, it also caused blackouts, flattened houses and gave off flash floods. It also forced authorities to suspend operations of vital transportation links, stranding passengers on islands.

Operations of at least 70 bullet trains to cities such as Fuzhou, Fujian Province, and Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, were suspended on Sunday.

Airline players such as China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and Air China were likewise forced to suspend operations until at least Typhoon Fitow had abated:

• 56 flights by China Eastern Airlines to Taipei, Taiwan were canceled:
• Nine flights to Wenzhou and two flights to Fuzhou by China Southern Airlines were canceled;
• 30 flights by Air China were canceled

In addition, operations of 243 long-distance buses bound for Zhejiang and Fujian provinces were likewise suspended.

Although weather authorities had recommended the resumption of the operations of rail and bus services, it advised operators to continue monitoring.

Weather authorities had downgraded Typhoon Fitow to a tropical depression at about 9 am on Monday. Its center was reportedly located in Jian'ou, Fujian province. It was moving southwest at 20 km per hour.

"Following the landfall, the power of Fitow is abating very fast and its impact on Shanghai and nearby regions is expected to disappear as early as Tuesday," China News quoted Zhu Jiehua, a chief service officer at the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau, as saying.

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