Haitang blows itself out after killing 3
By Huo Yongzhe in Shanghai and Shao Xiaoyi in Hangzhou (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-07-21 06:10

Returning residents could be comforted somewhat knowing that the damage could have been worse; Haitang was considerably weaker when it pounded the mainland on Tuesday than when it lashed Taiwan on Monday. By yesterday, it had killed three in East China's Zhejiang Province and 10 in Taiwan.

Huge damage

Nevertheless, losses reported in Fujian were devastating: 21 injured and direct economic losses of 2.63 billion yuan (US$317.6 million) including damage to 17,700 houses, the province's disaster relief authorities said.

In Zhejiang, the bill for damage had reached at least 5.46 billion yuan (US$657.8 million) yesterday. Officials said casualty figures were still being calculated.

Provincial officials said 5,710 homes were destroyed, 183,220 hectares of farmland ruined, 62,769 factories stopped operations and 447 highways were cut off.

For some, though, the danger had not ended. About 700 people in the town of Shuitou in Wenzhou city were still trapped in their homes yesterday afternoon, and rescue operations continued into the night, according to officials from the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters.

Although most of those trapped were not in imminent danger, the main concern was that flooding made the delivery of vital provisions difficult, according to Yao Yuewei, a senior officer in charge of local flood control and drought relief.

Teams of technicians were trying to restore Wenzhou's power and communications. Power was expected to be back to normal by tomorrow, a local utility spokesman said.