Vietnam, Taiwan slammed by typhoons; at least 44 dead

Sep 29, 2008, 14:16 GMT

   Taipei - Typhoon Hagupit targeted Vietnam over the weekend, killing at least 42 people, while Typhoon Jangmi left two people dead in Taiwan before weakening to a tropical storm, officials said Monday.

   Flash floods, heavy rain and landslides triggered by Hagupit also left four missing and 61 injured in northern Vietnam, the National Steering Committee for Storm and Flood Control said.

   Disaster officials said floods and mudslides washed away nearly 20,000 homes and 18 schools.

   The Red River near Hanoi reached dangerously high levels Sunday, cresting at 8.6 metres above sea level, before receding somewhat Monday morning.

   In Taiwan, two people were also missing and 61 injured, many hit by falling signboards or cut by falling glass when Typhoon Jangmi hit over the weekend, the country's disaster centre said.

   The typhoon caused severe damage to agriculture as floodwaters inundated crops and vegetables with losses amounting so far to 318 million Taiwan dollars (9.9 million US dollars), the centre said.

   Janmgi made landfall on Taiwan's north-eastern tip Sunday afternoon, packing winds up to 227 kilometres per hour

   Rail and air traffic that had been disrupted Sunday had partially resumed Monday morning, but heavy rain continued to fall in northern Taiwan, keeping the Taipei stock exchange closed Monday.

   The typhoon centre said the storm had left Taiwan Monday morning, weakening and moving in a north-easterly direction along China's east coast at 18 kilometres per hour.

   Jangmi's outer reaches were expected to hit China's coastal provinces Fujian and Zhejiang Monday evening, battering the coast with strong winds and rain, the local meterological bureau said.

   The provinces prepared for this year's 15th typhoon by ordering the evacuation of 460,000 people from low-lying areas, officials said.

   About 76,000 ships were also ordered back to port.