Super Typhoon Yagi strikes south China, leaving 4 dead, 95 injured

As of 3pm Saturday, Super Typhoon Yagi has killed four people and injured 95 others in south China's Hainan Province, local authorities said at a press conference on Saturday evening.

More than 526,000 people across Hainan have been affected by the typhoon, according to the provincial emergency management department.

Yagi, the 11th typhoon of the year, made landfall twice on Friday, first striking Hainan Province and later Guangdong Province.

Most areas in Hainan have been affected to varying degrees, resulting in losses to infrastructure, industries and agriculture, and impacting the production and lives of residents, according to the press conference.

So far, losses in highway facilities, water transportation, road transportation, civil aviation and ongoing transport projects across Hainan have climbed to a total of 728 million yuan (US$102.6 million). Among these losses, 26 national and provincial trunk roads and 103 other highways, totaling more than 400 kilometers, have been damaged. Waterway passenger stations and equipment have suffered severe damage, while airports and key, ongoing related construction projects have also incurred losses.

As of 5pm Saturday, the provincial capital of Haikou has evacuated some 105,500 residents due to the typhoon, and over 400 houses have collapsed and more than 32,000 houses have been damaged. Over 167,800 trees in the city have been uprooted and 56,742 hectares of crops have been affected, resulting in direct economic losses of more than 26.3 billion yuan.

Over 2,200 workers have been mobilized to restore power to more than 1.5 million affected households. By 7am Saturday, over one-fifth of affected households had been reconnected to the grid.

Road repairs are also underway, with 51 of 89 blocked main roads now cleared. High-speed rail services circling the island are expected to resume on Saturday afternoon, while ferry services across the Qiongzhou Strait are anticipated to restart by Sunday evening.

Haikou Meilan International Airport will remain closed until noon on Sunday due to the remnants of Typhoon Yagi. Sanya Phoenix International Airport began gradually resuming flights at 10am on Saturday.

Rescue teams are racing to restore communication networks after more than 12,500 base stations were damaged across Hainan, with Wenchang City suffering the worst disruption to communication facilities.

In Guangdong Province, Yagi had forced the relocation of 729,954 people by noon on Saturday, according to the provincial flood, drought and typhoon control authorities.

Yagi has also wreaked havoc in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, forcing the evacuation of about 60,000 residents. As of 11am on Saturday, over 107,000 households remained without power.

Heavy rains lashed over 30 townships and strong gales affected more than 110 townships in the region, with Jiao'an Township recording the highest rainfall at 140.6 millimeters.

Authorities have issued flood alerts as water levels in several rivers continue to rise.

On Saturday morning, China's National Meteorological Center renewed its red alert – its highest alert level – for Yagi.

It is expected to bring torrential rain to parts of Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong and Hainan from Saturday afternoon through Sunday afternoon.