Typhoon Lekima: 28 dead, 20 missing in east China

At least 28 people lost their lives and 20 remain missing after super typhoon Lekima made landfall in east China's Zhejiang Province on Saturday, local authorities said on Sunday morning.

Most of the deaths occurred in Yongjia County, administered by Wenzhou City, where torrential downpours caused a landslide that blocked rivers. The barrier lake burst and flooded people away, Xinhua news agency reported.

Nearly 1.08 million people have been evacuated to safe places, and close to five million people in Zhejiang were affected, according to the details provided by the provincial flood control headquarters.

Lekima, the ninth typhoon of this year, landed around 1:45 a.m. (local time) on Saturday in Zhejiang, bringing heavy rainstorms and triggering flash floods.

In Zhejiang, the typhoon damaged more than 173,000 hectares of crops and 34,000 houses. Direct economic loss amounts to 14.57 billion yuan (about 2.1 billion US dollars), the headquarters said. A rescue operation is underway, authorities said.

Typhoon Lekima is expected to move northwards.

It is expected to make a second landing along the coastline in Shandong on late Sunday, bringing strong wind and heavy downpours, the National Meteorological Center has issued a warning.

Shandong air traffic management bureau said the typhoon will greatly affect traffic in airports of the area. A total of 47 flights have been suspended.