Typhoon Fitow-triggered downpours lash E. China

HANGZHOU - Torrential rains caused by Typhoon Fitow continued to lash Shanghai City and Zhejiang Province in eastern China, inundating roads, houses and causing river dike breaches.

From Saturday to 10 a.m. Tuesday, Zhejiang saw average precipitation of 201 mm, with 717 mm in worst-hit Yuyao City, according to the Zhejiang provincial hydrological bureau.

As of 10 p.m. Monday, the typhoon had left six people dead and four missing, according to the Zhejiang Provincial Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.

The storm has affected seven million people in 11 cities in Zhejiang, causing direct economic damage of 12.4 billion yuan (2 billion U.S.dollars), according to the headquarters.

Several stretches of river embankments in Zhejiang reported danger due to high water levels, said an official with the headquarters.

Ningbo City saw record high rainfalls, the highest since it began collecting hydrological data early last century, said Zhou Zekai, a senior flood control official in Ningbo.

The city saw average precipitation of 390 mm from Saturday to Monday. A section of the Yaojiang river embankment breached on Monday morning. Rescuers are struggling to seal the breach.

Downpours also triggered mud flows, partial power blackouts and chaotic traffic in the coastal city. School classes were suspended.

Fitow made landfall in Fujian Province, just south of Zhejiang, early on Monday and brought heavy rain to east China.

The heavy rains also hit neighboring Shanghai. From 8 p.m. Monday to 12 a.m. Tuesday, Shanghai reported an average precipitation of 152.9 mm, the highest in a single day since 1961, said the municipal meteorological station.

A 15-meter-long flood prevention wall on the Huangpu River, which flows through the city, collapsed on Tuesday, flooding nearby residential houses. No casualties were reported.