4 dead, 16 missing as typhoon Mujigae hits south China

One fisherman died and another 16 are missing as typhoon Mujigae, the 22nd typhoon this year, made landfall in South China's Guangdong Province on Sunday, Xinhua reported.

As of 7:30 p.m., 35 cases of boat stranding and anchor dragging had been reported off the waters of Zhanjiang City, with 117 fishermen being rescued and 16 still missing, according to the Zhanjiang maritime rescue center.

Three people died and another 80 were injured as a tornado hit Shunde District, Foshan City on Sunday afternoon, according to the municipal government.

The typhoon, bringing gales and downpours, hit the coastal city of Zhanjiang at 2:10 p.m., packing winds of up to 50 meters per second, the provincial meteorological observatory said.

It is forecast to move northwest at a speed of about 20 km per hour and arrive in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in the evening. Storms are predicted to last till Monday in west Guangdong and the Pearl River Delta.

Guangdong's flood control and drought relief headquarters elevated its typhoon emergency response to the highest level at 9 a.m.

More than 24,000 power maintenance workers in Guangdong are ready to deal with possible power cuts caused by the typhoon, according to the China Southern Power Grid.

More than 500 tourists have been stranded on Fangji Island, a popular scenic spot administered by Maoming City, said the city's office handling floods, droughts and typhoons.

The authorities began to evacuate tourists from the island on Saturday, but the operation was interrupted by strong winds. The remaining tourists were transferred to hotels for free accommodation.

Water, power supply and telecommunications at the hotels are unaffected. More than 130 emergency workers and a dozen police officers are caring for the tourists.

Fangji has called off all entertainment activities at sea and tightened inspections on dangerous areas.

Source: MENA