At Least 63 Dead, 1,800 Injured In China Typhoon

SHANGHAI, Aug 13 (AFP) - At least 63 people were killed and more than 1,800 injured in a powerful typhoon that ripped through eastern China, provincial officials said Friday.
"Initial statistics show that at least 63 are dead and 185 are seriously injured," an official from the disaster relief section of the Zhejiang provincial civil affairs bureau told AFP.
He also confirmed local newspaper reports that 1,800 people had been injured.
Another official at the same office, surnamed Su, said at least 15 people were missing and the death toll was likely to rise.
"The conditions are very bad and because we are still gathering information this figure is likely to increase," the official said.
Typhoon Rananim landed in Wenling city on the coast of Zhejiang province, about 135 kilometres (85 miles) south of Shanghai late Thursday, causing widespread damage.
The Qianjiang Evening Post reported that 18,300 homes had collapsed, although this could not be immediately confirmed.