MACAO/GUANGZHOU, 24 August (BelTA - Xinhua) - Twelve people have been killed in southern China since the arrival of the strongest typhoon of the year on Wednesday.
Typhoon Hato made landfall in the city of Zhuhai in Guangdong Province at noon Wednesday, bringing winds of up to 160 kph to the mouth of the Pearl River and heavy rain to nearby regions, the local meteorological bureau said.
Eight people were killed when the typhoon swept past Macao.
There was a brief blackout in Macao but power resumed at 2 p.m.
In Guangdong, four people have died and one remains unaccounted for. The government has evacuated 26,817 people to temporary shelters. About 664 hectares of farmland has been damaged.
Power transmission facilities suffered heavy loss, disrupting electricity supply to 1.91 million households.
About half of the households had power back by late Wednesday.
Alerts for landslides, flooding, and other geological disasters have been issued.
Hundreds of thousands of residents in low-lying areas, workers on coastal fish farms, and tourists have been transferred to safer places.
Across the province, classes and work were suspended in many cities on Wednesday. Several expressways were closed and train services halted.
At least six ships on the mouth of the Pearl River have reported emergencies. Maritime rescue workers saved 118 crew members, according to the Ministry of Transportation.
Hato is forecast to move northwest and enter Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region by dawn Thursday. As the typhoon moves further inland its strength is expected to drop.
In Guangxi, more than 15,000 workers at the local power grid were put on standby while precautions have been taken to minimize the damage caused by potential flooding and landslides.
More than 11,860 fishing boats have been moored.
