The death toll from Typhoon Talim in China climbed to 95 on Monday while 30 people are missing, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs on Monday.

Talim hit Fujian Province on September 1 and has so far caused direct economic losses of approximately 12.19 billion yuan (about US$1.5 billion). The typhoon brought torrential rainfall that led to severe landslides and mudflows in Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian and Jiangxi provinces in east China and Hubei in central China, the ministry said.

In Anhui, one of the provinces most badly affected, 59 people have been reported dead and 12 others missing. Economic loss there has reached 2.75 billion yuan (US$335 million).

The State Council has allocated 182 million yuan (US$22.2 million) for relief work in the affected areas.

The fund, jointly raised by ministries of finance, water resources, civil affairs and agriculture, includes 94 million yuan for essentials like food and clean drinking water, and 88 million yuan for disaster relief.

The State Council also warned that water levels in the Huaihe River, some branches of the Yangtze River and many reservoirs are still high, and mountain torrents, mudflows and landslides might happen at any time in some areas. Local governments have been ordered to stay alert and bolster flood control measures.

(Xinhua News Agency September 6, 2005)