The death toll in China from typhoon Saomai rose to 441 on
Saturday after the discovery of five more bodies in Fuding city in
the southeastern coastal province of Fujian.
One of the body was recovered in a ship that was salvaged from
the seawaters off Shacheng harbor on Saturday afternoon, Vice Mayor
of Fuding Chen Yuyin said.
Rescuers have so far retrieved four vessels in Fuding, and the
local government has appealed to the Fujian provincial government
and central authorities to assist with salvage operations.
Salvage ships from the Shanghai wrecking bureau will arrive in
Fuding within days, which will make it possible to retrieve four or
five sunken vessels every day, the vice mayor said.
The typhoon has sunk 952 ships and damaged 1,594 others at
Shacheng harbor, according to Fujian provincial headquarters of
flood control and drought relief.
Saomai, the eighth typhoon to strike China this year, slammed
into Cangnan County of Zhejiang Province at 5:25 PM August 10 and
moved to Fuding a few hours later.
It has claimed 246 lives in Fujian, 193 in Zhejiang and two in
Jiangxi.
More than 16.9 million yuan (US$2.11 million) of money have been
distributed for relief to typhoon victims in Fuding, officials with
the local bureau of civil affairs said Saturday evening.
Daily necessities including instant noodles, bottled water,
rice, quilts, and biscuits have also been distributed to the
victims.
All the injured are treated by local hospitals for free and the
local government has distributed 78,700 yuan (US$10,000) worth of
drugs to people affected by the typhoon, officials said.
Fuding has so far received more than 15 million yuan (US$1.9
million) of donations, officials said.
(Xinhua News Agency August 20, 2006)