Typhoon Kaemi has to date left at least 32 people dead, and another 65 missing in floods and landslides.

East China's Jiangxi Province has been the hardest hit on the mainland.

On Wednesday, a torrent of water rushed down a mountainside, washing away a military barracks. Six people died and 38 are still missing, according to local military sources yesterday morning.

Those missing include military officers, soldiers and their families.

Kaemi has been lashing central and southern parts of Jiangxi with rainstorms since Tuesday afternoon, triggering floods and landslides.

Rescuers have evacuated more than 12,000 civilians in the worst hit area, Shangyou County, where the maximum rainfall in just six hours exceeded 280 millimeters. Relief funds have been sent including 1 million yuan (US$125,000), 100,000 kilograms of rice and 2,000 quilts.

Rainstorms and consequential disasters have affected more than 330,000 people in Jiangxi.

About 9,200 houses have been toppled and 6,400 hectares of farmland destroyed. Direct economic losses are estimated at 150 million yuan (US$18.75 million).

Although Kaemi has weakened, heavy rain continued to pound south China yesterday.

Meteorologists have warned of more flooding and mudflows.

The meteorological office said that Kaemi carried in less rain than Bilis, but caused further damage to areas already devastated by Bilis, which killed 612 people and left 208 missing in southern China.

South China's Guangdong Province has also reported two deaths, while local authorities are still counting the missing and affected population.

Also on Wednesday, Kaemi triggered floods and landslides in central China's Hunan Province leaving three people missing.

Kaemi, the fifth major storm this year, made landfall in Taiwan and east China's Fujian Province.

(China Daily July 28, 2006)