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Coastal provinces bracing for typhoon Haitang
By Shao Xiaoyi in Hangzhou, and？8u Meidong, Li Dapeng in Fuzhou (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-07-19 05:59
More than 850,000 people were evacuated from China's southeastern coastal areas yesterday as Typhoon Haitang bore down on them after wreaking havoc on Taiwan.
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| Passengers walk in torrential rain before the landing of typhoon Haitan in Fujian Province. Photo is taken on July 18, 2005. [newsphoto] |
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Haitang's 230-kmh winds struck northern Taiwan yesterday afternoon killing at least one person, injuring 58 and leaving more than one million homes without electricity.
All day yesterday and into the night communities in Zhejiang and Fujian provinces were bracing for the worst, hoping last year's tragedy from Typhoon Rananim, which was blamed for 164 deaths and damages totalling 18.1 billion yuan (US$2.18 billion), would not be repeated.
Ruan Yunzhen, a disabled man from Yuanyu Village in Cangnan county of Wenzhou, in East China's Zhejiang Province, did not want to leave his home but finally gave in to village head's pleas to evacuate yesterday.
"Now I know I am safer here, thanks to the village head's help," said Ruan who agreed to stay at a relative's home well inland.
In preparation for relief and rescue operations, 5,000 armed police were mobilized as authorities got ready for Haitang's arrival .
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