mobanmarketBEIJING (AP) – At least 18 people were killed Saturday after Typhoon Lekima struck China’s coast south of Shanghai, knocking down houses and trees, state TV reported.
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Another 14 people were missing after Lekima hit land at 1:45 am on Saturday in Zhejiang province, the report said. It said more than 200 houses collapsed and 3,200 were damaged.
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The deaths occurred in Yongjia County on the outskirts of Wenzhou, a major port city, state TV reported. It said a river that was blocked by a landslide rose 10 meters (30 feet) and then broke through the debris, flooding homes.
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More than 1 million people were evacuated before the storm struck, the official Xinhua News Agency said. That included 253,000 in Shanghai.
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Shanghai Disneyland closed due to the storm.
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State TV said 3,023 airline flights in Shanghai, Hangzhou and other cities and some train services were canceled. Authorities in Shanghai also shut down the high-speed magnetic levitation train to Pudong International Airport.
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Sixteen people were also missing after a landslide was triggered by the storm, state media reported.
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The storm was initially designated a “super typhoon”, but weakened slightly before landfall – when it still had winds of 187km/h (116mph).
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Landslide as dam breaks
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The fatal landslide happened when a dam broke in Wenzhou, near where the storm made landfall, state media said.
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Lekima is now slowly winding its way north through the Zhejiang province, and is expected to hit Shanghai, which has a population of more than 20 million.
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Emergency crews have battled to save stranded motorists from floods. Fallen trees and power cuts are widespread.
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