Typhoon Doksuri lashes China, boat tragedy in Philippines kills 39

Typhoon Doksuri made landfall in southern China on Friday (July 28) and unleashed heavy rains and violent gusts of wind. The lashing affected power lines and sparked fires. Trees were uprooted and factories and shopping malls were forced to shut. Typhoon Doksuri is the second-strongest to hit Fujian province in southwestern China since Typhoon Meranti in 2016. Chinese state media said that the latest typhoon has resulted in closure of schools, businesses and evacuation of workers from offshore oil and gas fields.

More than 724,600 people have been affected due to Typhoon Doksuri, said CCTV. The state news outlet said that 124,000 people were evacuated and resettled. The news report said that the storm caused direct economic losses of 52.27 million yuan (USD 7.30 million.

Watch | Typhoon Doksuri sweeps Fujian in China, uproot trees & create violent showers

In the port city of Quanzhou, which is in Fujian province, 39 people reportedly suffered minor injuries. The lashing from the typhoon resulted in 500,000 homes losing power.

The media or the government, through their official channels did not immediately have information on fatalities.

Doksuri's wind speed was clocked at 137 kph (85 mph) as of 1 p.m (0500 GMT), according to the National Meteorological Center.

Hourly rainfall in Xiamen, Quanzhou and Putian exceeded 50 mm (2.165 inches), according to the China Meteorological Administration (CMA).

"The whole of Xiamen didn't go to work this morning," a local resident, surnamed Zhuang, said.

"There are no cars on the roads, and factories and shopping malls are closed. Guess people are scared after Meranti."

Mishap in the Philippines

Typhoon Doksuri lashed the Philippines before hitting China. Strong winds caused a passenger boat to capsize in Laguna lake near the capital Manila. the coast guard said that 26 people had been killed but according to CNN, the death was at 39.

The boat was overloaded and 70 passengers were travelling at the time of the mishap. The maximum capacity of the boat was 42.

People standing on the shore watched in horror as rescuers in boats searched for victims in the murky water.

Video footage of the frantic rescue operation shared by the coast guard shows a man standing on the hull of the boat lying on its side, shouting, "There are so many people here", as small outrigger boats circled trying to help. Forty people survived.

(With inputs from agencies)

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