Typhoon Kajiki brushes past south China island province, over 100,000 affected

Beijing, Aug 25 (IANS) Typhoon Kajiki, the 13th typhoon of the year, brushed past the coast of south China's island province of Hainan on Sunday night, affecting over 100,000 people, according to a provincial press conference held on Monday.

The typhoon passed through the offshore areas from the resort city of Sanya to Ledong Li Autonomous County, and headed toward the central and northern coastal regions of Vietnam, according to the press conference on Kajiki response.

Preliminary figures show that about 102,500 people in Hainan have been affected, and no casualties had been reported as of 9 am Monday.

The typhoon inflicted damage on roads, water supply systems, power and communication facilities in cities and counties including Sanya, Ledong, Lingshui and Wanning, as well as fallen trees and flooding in some areas, Xinhua news agency reported.

More than 10,000 personnel from the military, armed police and firefighting teams have been dispatched and over 770,000 pieces of emergency supplies were allocated to support flood control, disaster relief and road clearance in severely-affected areas.

Public transportation across the province is gradually resuming operations. Sanya Phoenix International Airport has resumed normal operations, while the three major ports in the provincial capital Haikou are expected to reopen on Monday.

Meanwhile, people across Laos are being urged to prepare for the potential impacts of Typhoon Kajiki, the 13th typhoon of the year, which is forecast to bring widespread thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, and strong winds across the country.

The typhoon continues to intensify as it moves over the South China Sea towards Vietnam, the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, under the Lao Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, said Monday.

The typhoon is forecast to pass through Laos, bringing widespread thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, and strong winds to many areas from August 25 to 31.

The Laos weather bureau has also issued warnings of particularly heavy rain and strong winds in several provinces and the capital Vientiane, from Monday to Wednesday.

--IANS

/as