Four killed, 95 injured as super Typhoon Yagi wreaks havoc in China

Beijing, Sept 7 (PTI) Four people were killed and 95 others injured as super Typhoon Yagi pounded south China's island province of Hainan with heavy rain and gusty winds, forcing thousands of people to be relocated for safety, local authorities said on Saturday.

Yagi, the 11th typhoon of this year, made two landfalls in China on Friday, first striking Hainan and later the Guangdong province.

Super Typhoon Yagi has pounded south China with heavy rain and gusty winds, leaving four people dead and 95 injured, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported, citing authorities.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged beefed-up disaster relief efforts after the typhoon struck the country's southern region.

In Hainan, a popular tourist destination, the storm uprooted trees, caused power outages and flooded roads. Over 2,200 workers have been mobilised to restore power to more than 1.5 million affected households, Xinhua reported.

High-speed rail services circling the island are expected to resume on Saturday afternoon, while ferry services across the Qiongzhou Strait are anticipated to restart by Sunday evening.

Haikou Meilan International Airport will remain closed until noon on Sunday due to the remnants of Typhoon Yagi. Sanya Phoenix International Airport began gradually resuming flights at 10 am on Saturday. Rescue teams are racing to restore communication networks after more than 12,500 base stations were damaged across Hainan, official media reported.

In Guangdong province, Yagi had forced the relocation of 729,954 people by noon on Saturday, according to the provincial flood, drought and typhoon control authorities. Since Thursday night, heavy rainfall has battered western Guangdong, with Xiaqiao township recording the highest accumulated precipitation at 415.6 millimetres, according to the Guangdong Meteorological Service.

As the storm weakens, several cities have resumed classes, work, transportation and other services since Saturday. More than 34,400 rescue personnel have been devoted to disaster relief work in Zhanjiang, Yangjiang, Jiangmen and Maoming cities, Xinhua reported.

Forecasters expect rains and winds to subside from Saturday night, with scattered showers across the province from Monday to Tuesday.

Yagi has also wreaked havoc in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, forcing the evacuation of about 60,000 residents. As of 11 am on Saturday, over 107,000 households remained without power. Heavy rains lashed over 30 townships and strong gales affected more than 110 townships in the region. Authorities have issued flood alerts as water levels in several rivers continue to rise.

On Saturday morning, China's National Meteorological Centre renewed its red alert -- its highest alert level -- for Yagi. It is expected to bring torrential rain to parts of Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong and Hainan till Sunday afternoon. PTI