BEIJING — Floods and landslides from the strongest storm to hit China this year have killed at least 54 people and left dozens missing since it struck earlier this week, officials said yesterday.
Typhoon Fanapi swamped south China’s Guangdong province after directly hitting the island of Taiwan on Sunday and killing two there. Guangdong’s meteorological center said heavy rains would start to ease last night.
Fanapi had killed 54 and left 42 missing as of midday yesterday, said an official surnamed Zhou with Guangdong’s flood control and drought relief headquarters.
The state-run Xinhua News Agency earlier said the casualties included five people killed when a landslide destroyed a dam in Xinyi.
In southern Taiwan, two people died in flash flooding as Fanapi dumped more than 40 inches of rain in some places.
Fanapi was the first major storm to strike Taiwan this year and the 11th typhoon to hit China. It had weakened significantly before landing in China’s Fujian province.
