Prapiroon typhoon death toll rises to 80

BEIJING: The death toll from typhoon Prapiroon, which lashed three provinces in south China after hitting the coast last week, has touched 80 with nine others reported missing, the government said on Monday.

It has also forced 844,000 people in southern China's Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan regions to move to safe places, the National Natural Disaster Reduction Committee said.

Prapiroon made landfall between Yangxi and Dianbai counties in Guangdong on August 3, pounding the three provinces with heavy rains and strong winds and causing widespread damage.

Prapiroon, which means Rain God in Thai, was formed in the South China Sea and strengthened into a typhoon last Wednesday.