Villagers are picking up the pieces after Typhoon Rananim continued its path of destruction in east China's Zhejiang Province. It has caused more than 100 casualties and massive destruction in Taizhou City.
Local villages were submerged, crops destroyed, and factories and houses collapsed. As Rananim now makes its way for Jiangxi Province, rescue workers continue to look for victims of one of the worst typhoons to hit the region in seven years.
A residential compound in Taizhou City was hit hard by the typhoon. Residents and relief workers are clearing up and beginning to rebuild homes.
Since it first hit Zhejiang on Thursday, the devastating typhoon has flattened over 42,000 houses and damaged 88,000 more. It also left in its wake 115 victims, most of whom were killed when their houses collapsed. Another 88,000 were injured.
Meanwhile, water and power supplies, and transportation and communications facilities that had been disrupted are being restored. Officials are hoping to learn from recent events, saying they will look at ways to build houses that are able to resist typhoons, so as to keep future losses to a minimum.
Typhoon Rananim first landed in Wenling City on Thursday night. The heavy storm and rainfall destroyed 10 percent of the fishing boats in the city famous for fishery, and the rescue team has organized the fishermen to repair them.
Since most of the collapsed houses are in rural areas, Zhejiang authorities have rushed to erect enough tents for the affected villagers. Meanwhile, relief workers are distributing food, quilts and clothing to the victims, and asking the residents to be on a high alert against possible infectious diseases.
(CCTV.com, August 15, 2004)
