Taiwan braces for powerful typhoon after floods in China kill dozens

Authorities in southern China said Thursday that 39 people have died in flooding from tropical storm Maysak, as Taiwan and China’s east coast braced for another major storm expected to make landfall in the coming days.

Most of the deaths were related to the breach of a dam in an area east of the city of Nanning, which claimed 26 lives, said Ding Wei, the city’s vice mayor, at a news briefing.

Nine people remained missing in the broader Guangxi region.

Maysak brought record rainfall to Guangxi starting Saturday, breaching reservoirs and stranding people for days in homes and other buildings. The previously announced death toll was six people.

Typhoon Bavi is forecast to pass just north of Taiwan, bringing heavy rain to the island of 23 million people, and make landfall in Zhejiang or Fujian province on Saturday.

Authorities in Taiwan urged residents to stock up on supplies and brace for what could be the most powerful typhoon to hit the island in years.

Torrents of water

Heavy rain battered southern Guangxi for days, with cumulative rainfall of 10 to 40 centimetres in some areas and more than 90 centimetres in hard-hit areas, the national meteorological centere said.

The reservoir breaches sent torrents of water into towns and cities.

Drones and some 5,700 boats have been used in a massive relief and rescue operation to reach people trapped by the waters, with rescuers battling stiff currents and debris to try to reach people. About 130,000 people have been evacuated.

Ding said the floodwaters are receding but more rain is expected in some areas in the next two days. Crews have been deployed to clear mud and debris and disinfect several towns in hard-hit Hengzhou city, which is east of Nanning and under its jurisdiction.

Road repairs are ongoing and electricity has been restored to more than 60,000 homes, Ding said.