China : Typhoon In-fa hits China’s east coast
China’s eastern coast is bracing for a major typhoon just days after deadly floods devastated parts of the country. Typhoon In-Fa make landfall in the city of Zhoushan at 12:30 local time (04:30 GMT), state media reported. Flights and train services have been suspended, while people have been ordered to stay indoors.
Disruptive winds, rough seas and flooding are expected. Meanwhile, dozens of ships have been evacuated from a busy port south of Shanghai.The typhoon follows a period of historic flooding that caused widespread damage and killed at least 58 people in central China. Emergency crew are still working around the clock to rescue survivors and provide aid to the tens of millions of people affected by the floods.
“We will make every effort to ensure the safety of people’s lives and property, and do everything to minimize disaster losses, and strive to achieve the goal of no deaths and few injuries and economic losses,” said Yuan Jiajun, the Zhejiang province Communist Party secretary, during an inspection of preparations on Saturday, official media reported.
Both Shanghai, home to about 26 million people, and Hangzhou to the south cancelled inbound and outbound flights from Saturday, and many train services in the region were also halted.The Shanghai government said it would slow its subway trains, while Hangzhou authorities warned residents that underground trains would be suspended.
China shut down ports and railways on Saturday in anticipation of Typhoon In-Fa, which would be the sixth typhoon to hit this year. According to the provincial meteorological department, In-Fa is currently located about 395 km southeast of Xiangshan County in Zhejiang, with a maximum wind force of 144 km per hour.