At least four persons were killed and 16 others went missing today as typhoon Mujigae, the 22nd typhoon of the year, hit China's western Guangdong Province with heavy rain and winds toppling vehicles.
So far, 35 cases of boat stranding and anchor dragging have reported off the waters of Zhanjiang City, with 117 fishermen being rescued and 16 still missing, according to the Zhanjiang maritime rescue center.
Four persons including one fisherman were killed and 80 others injured as a tornado hit Shunde District, Foshan City this afternoon, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The typhoon, which made the land fall in the coastal city of Zhanjiang this afternoon, prompted authorities to evacuate tens of thousands of people even as 500 tourists remained stranded. It brought gales and downpour with winds of up to 50 meters per second.
The typhoon was in Hepu County in the neighboring Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region at 8 PM (local time) and was moving northwest to the cities of Qinzhou and Nanning with weakened strength. It is forecast to move northwest at a speed of about 20 km per hour and arrive in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in evening. Storms are predicted to last until tomorrow in west Guangdong and the Pearl River delta.
The typhoon caused widespread blackouts in Zhanjiang City, where water supply was also cut off in many areas. Over 24,000 power maintenance workers in Guangdong are ready to deal with possible power cuts caused by the typhoon, according to the China Southern Power Grid.
Close to 200,000 people in southern China were evacuated before Typhoon Mujigae roared into Guangdong province, officials said.
Guangdong's flood control and drought relief headquarters elevated its typhoon emergency response to the highest level.
Maritime safety authorities of Zhanjiang told state-run Xinhua news agency that some vessels were stranded at sea, while no casualties have been reported. State television showed several parked cars topped and windscreens damaged due to heavy winds.
More than 500 tourists were stranded on Fangji Island, a popular scenic spot administered by Maoming City, the news agency said.
