Death toll rises to 44 as typhoon Lekima wreaks havoc in eastern China

TIL Desk/World/Beijing/ The death toll due to typhoon Lekima that has hit the provinces of Zhejiang and Shandong provinces of China”s has increased to 44, while 12 others were reported missing, authorities said on Monday. By Monday morning, the death toll in Zhejiang increased to 39 while nine others remained missing.

The ninth and strongest typhoon of the year has affected 6.68 million residents in Zhejiang, among whom 1.26 million were evacuated. It damaged 234,000 hectares of crops, inflicting a direct economic loss of 24.22 billion yuan ($3 billion).

Lekima made landfall on Saturday afternoon in the city of Wenling in Zhejiang. It made a second landing on Sunday night on the coast of Qingdao in Shandong province.

In Shandong, it has left five people dead and seven missing, affecting 1.66 million people and forcing the relocation of 183,800 as of Monday morning, said the provincial emergency management department.

Heavy rains and strong gales have damaged 175,400 hectares of crops and toppled 609 houses, inflicting a direct economic loss of 1.48 billion yuan ($211 million), it said.