At least 56 people have been killed and over 100 tourists trapped in floods and landslides caused by heavy rains in China, as 304,000 people were evacuated in eastern Fujian province after Typhoon Soulik made landfall.
More than 100 tourists, including 38 Vietnamese nationals, became trapped in Wenxian County in northwest Gansu Province on Friday night after a rain-triggered landslide and mudslide cut off traffic, local authorities said today.
At least 56 people were killed and over 180 went missing in southwestern Sichuan province, which was battered by heavy rains and floods for several days, state-run China Radio International reported.
Over 240-thousand residents across the province have also been forced from home.
Rescuers continue to search the scene of the landslide, which happened on Wednesday morning in the village of Sanxi, Zhongxing Township, in Dujiangyan city.
Four more bodies were retrieved from the debris of massive landslide which engulfed the city early this week.
Meanwhile, Typhoon Soulik, the seventh typhoon to hit Chinese mainland this year, made landfall in eastern Fujian Province after creating havoc in Taiwan.
The typhoon brought heavy rain and wind with it.
The National Meteorological Center said wind speeds at the typhoon's center reached a top speed of 118 km per hour as Typhoon Soulik landed.
The typhoon Soulik is currently moving northwest at 20 to 25 km per hour and is expected to enter neighbouring Jiangxi Province after midnight, according to the Fujian provincial meteorological station.
It is expected to bring downpours to the central and northern parts of Fujian. Local governments should be on high alert for possible floods and landslides, the station said.
Some 5,500 soldiers have been dispatched to 18 counties to engage in relief efforts.
