100,000 evacuated as Typhoon Lekima lashes south China*

BEIJING, Oct 3 (AFP) Oct 02, 2007

Chinese authorities evacuated 100,000 people as Typhoon Lekima lashed
the southern tourist island of Hainan after killing at least nine people
in the Philippines, state media reported Wednesday.

Meteorologists warned of possible flash floods and landslides triggered
by the heavy rains unleashed by Lekima which was packing winds of nearly
119 kilometres (74 miles) an hour, Xinhua news agency said.

The typhoon made landfall near Hainan's southernmost city of Sanya and
weakened into a severe tropical storm, it said.

Sluice gates at 17 reservoirs on Hainan were opened to divert possible
flood water, Xinhua said, quoting a spokesman of the Hainan Provincial
Headquarters of Flood, Typhoon and Drought Control.

More than 20,000 fishing boats have also been recalled to harbour, he said.

A Pananma-registered ship with 29 Chinese crew was grounded near Yangpu
in western Hainan amid waves up to five metres and gale-force winds,
Xinhua said.

Nineteen of them had been plucked to safety by helicopter by Tuesday
evening, it said.

The island close to northern Vietnam is a popular destination for
Chinese tourists but the storm had already hit bookings during the
current week-long National Day holiday, the agency said.

More than 3,000 passengers, mostly tourists, were delayed Tuesday
because the ferry service from neighbouring Guangdong province on the
mainland had been suspended, according to the Guangdong Maritime Affairs
Bureau, Xinhua said.

Six flights from the island's capital Haikou were also cancelled but 143
were not affected, it said.

Heavy rains and strong gales were forecast to hit most of Hainan and the
coastal areas of Guangxi and Guangdong provinces Wednesday, Xinhua said.

Lekima was upgraded to a typhoon Tuesday afternoon after lashing the
Philippines where it killed nine people and left another missing after
unleashing landslides, floods and big waves.