Typhoon kills 25 in Guangdong

Download

Typhoon Usagi killed at least 25 people after making landfall in Guangdong province on Sunday evening, with winds reaching speeds of up to 45 meters a second.

The typhoon hit the province at 7:40 pm on Sunday, according to provincial authorities, who confirmed the death toll on Monday. In the coastal city of Shanwei, the hardest-hit area, 13 died and dozens more were injured.

Chen Zhanzhen, a crab farmer in Pubian, a village in Shanwei, said he took refuge on higher ground in a nearby primary school.

"Most of the old houses collapsed," said the 56-year-old, adding that the roof of his home was blown away in the typhoon.

"My crab farm was flooded, too. My losses could be more than 100,000 yuan ($16,340)," he said.

In Shanwei on Monday, fallen trees lined roadsides and electricity cables were dangling.

By 10 am on Monday, 1.81 million households in Guangdong were still without electricity. More than 5 million people and 50,800 hectares of crops were impacted by the typhoon, according to Shanwei authorities.

Altogether, 8,490 houses were destroyed in the strong winds and heavy rain, with direct economic losses estimated by Guangdong provincial government at approximately 7.17 billion yuan.

Power outages spread to more than 65 percent of the city, according to the Shanwei headquarters of flood control and drought relief.

The city's hygiene and disease control department sent six medical teams to typhoon-hit areas to properly dispose of dead animal bodies and sterilize facilities to prevent epidemics.

Authorities also said seawater encroachment caused by the confluence of Usagi and tidal forces led to flooding in many districts and counties of Shantou.

Rail and air services have mostly resumed, according to local authorities and transport operators.

Usagi, which means rabbit in Japanese, is the 19th typhoon to hit China this year.

Questions:

1. How many people were killed by Typhoon Usagi after the storm made landfall in Guangdong province?

2. Which was the hardest-hit area?

3. What does Usagi mean in Japanese?

Answers:

1. 25.

2. The coastal city of Shanwei.

3. Rabbit.

（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）

About the broadcaster:

Anne Ruisi is an editor at China Daily online with more than 30 years of experience as a newspaper editor and reporter. She has worked at newspapers in the U.S., including The Birmingham News in Alabama and City Newspaper of Rochester, N.Y.