The death toll from typhoon Saomai had risen to 214 by Monday morning, with another 56 bodies discovered in Fuding City in east China's Fujian Province.

Over 160 others are still missing after Saomai wrought havoc in eastern provinces including Fujian, Zhejiang and Jiangxi.

In Fuding, the worst hit city in Fujian, 97 bodies were recovered from the sea, 27 of which are still unidentified.

Officials with Fujian Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said the people were killed when the super strong typhoon broke the moorings on their ships which had sought shelter in the harbor.

Local authorities and residents are still searching for the missing.

The Fuding death toll update brings total fatalities in Fujian to a staggering 125. Another 108 people are reported missing in the province.

Previous reports listed 87 dead and 52 missing in east China's Zhejiang Province where Saomai barreled in, and two dead and one missing in nearby Jiangxi Province.

According to the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), another two tropical storms, Sonamu and Wukong, were respectively located at latitude 18.1 north, longitude 129.9 east and latitude 26.4 north, longitude 138.0 east. CMA experts believe they will not affect China in the next couple of days.

(Xinhua News Agency August 14, 2006)