Typhoon Megi leaves 10 dead in China

At least 10 persons were killed and 29 reported missing due to Typhoon Megi in China, the Ministry of Civil Affairs announced on Friday.

Five deaths were reported in Zhejiang province and five were reportedly killed in Fujian, Xinhua quoted the ministry as saying in a statement.

As of 9 a.m. on Friday, about 2.09 million people had been affected as the impact of the typhoon spread to 16 cities in three provinces -- Zhejiang, Fujian and Jiangxi.

About 656,000 residents have been relocated and nearly 700 were in urgent need of basic living supplies, said the statement.

Megi, the 17th typhoon this year, made landfall in Fujian on Wednesday and brought heavy downpours and landslides in affected areas.

The typhoon has destroyed homes and crops and caused direct economic losses worth 5.53 billion yuan ($829 million), it said.

--IANS

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