China prepares for tropical storm

BEIJING: China has evacuated 3,60,000 people and called 61,000 fishing vessels back to harbour in two eastern provinces as efforts to brace up for Kalmaegi, the tropical storm that killed at least six people in Taiwan.
    
Nearly 30,000 workers in the coastal waters and 1,50,000 people on 35,000 fishing vessels are returning to harbour in Fujian province, the provincial flood control authorities said.
    
In the neighbouring Zhejiang province, nearly 1,80,000 people have been evacuated and 26,000 fishing boats ordered back to harbour, local authorities said.
    
Kalmaegi made landfall near Iian in northern Taiwan on Friday when it was a typhoon, killing six people on the island and damaging many key roads and affecting rail services in some parts. It had, however, weakened into a severe tropical storm on Friday, official Xinhua news agency said.
    
Kalmaegi, the seventh storm this year, was spotted on the sea waters 80 kms southeast of Xiapu and Fuding in Fujian and is also expected to affect Shanghai Friday and Saturday, it said.
    
Flood control, offshore fishery and marine authorities in Fujian, Zhejiang and Shanghai have sent out warnings to prepare for the storm, the agency said.