Typhoon Megi: Rescuers pull 15 people out alive from China landslide, 26 still missing

Authorities say the remnants of typhoon Megi caused the landslide to crash into Sucun village.

Typhoon Megi: Rescuers pull 15 out alive from China landslide, 26 still missing
Rescue workers try to recover a railway line affected by Typhoon Megi, in Fuzhou, China. In Zhejiang province, rescuers have pulled 15 people alive from a landslide that slammed into a village Reuters

At least 15 people were pulled out alive from rubbles after Typhoon Megi triggered a landslide at a village in the eastern Zhejiang province of China. However, 26 people are still missing, the state media reported on Thursday.

The remnants of typhoon Megi caused the landslide to crash into Sucun village on Wednesday morning, killing one person and left a trail of destruction. The typhoon also killed at least four people in Taiwan.

The microblog of Zhejiang Online, the official provincial news portal, showed images of rescuers carrying the survivors on their backs while others dug through rubble to locate survivors.

However, it did not share any details of those still missing. It said one of those missing people was an official who had been in the village to organise evacuations.

According to images posted on Zhejiang Online, a mass of debris rolled down a lush mountain towards the small village.

Authorities said schools and other institutions were shuttered across the province. The train services have also been halted.

Initially, Xinhua, the official news agency, reported that the Fujian authorities have moved more than 120,000 people who work close to shore or at sea. As many as 31,700 fishing boats in the province have been stopped from leaving the port to avoid the high winds.

Mountainous Zhejiang, along with its neighbouring provinces, often experience typhoons at this time of year and the regions are also highly susceptible to landslides.

Typhoon Megi reportedly caused widespread damage in Taiwan, leading to a complete shutdown of schools and offices for two consecutive days. The roads were blocked by debris from landslides and homes were completely flooded.

Four people died and more than 523 people were injured in Taiwan since it had roared in from the Pacific Ocean.

National Fire Agency Director-General Chen Wen-lung said the authorities have raised the alert levels for Taiwan, which is prone to landslides and flooding.

The Central Emergency Operation Centre of Taiwan said around 4,300 people remained in temporary shelters with more than 14,800 evacuated from their homes. It also said a million households were still without power on Wednesday.

Almost 300 flights were either cancelled or delayed on Wednesday and train services were also halted.

READ MORE