Two more people have been reported dead from the rage of Typhoon Dujuan in south China's Guangdong province, according to the latest information from the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters.

The deaths, one in Shenzhen and the other in Jieyang, bring the total casualties from Dujian to 40, most of whom lived in hastily built shanty shelters, according to the headquarters.

The typhoon, the most powerful to hit the Pearl River Delta over the past 34 years since 1979, also left about 1,000 others injured in this south China province.

The combined direct economic losses in the province are estimated at around 2.29 billion yuan (about 276 million US dollars), according to the headquarters.

The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters has specially appointed officials to go to Guangdong to help organize rescue and relief work while the province speeds up renovating the highways, infrastructure for telecommunications, water and power supplies and irrigation systems which suffered serious damage as Dujuan swept through.

Typhoon Dujuan has weakened to a tropical storm and faded in neighboring Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region via Yunfu city of Guangdong Wednesday afternoon.

(Xinhua News Agency September 6, 2003)