October 07, 2007	Sunday	Ramazan 24, 1428

BEIJING, Oct 6: Authorities evacuated more than a million people on Saturday as southeast China braced for the onslaught from powerful Typhoon Krosa which killed at least two in Taiwan, state media reported.

Packing winds of 180 kilometres an hour (113 mph), at 8pm (1200 GMT) Krosa was 455 kilometres off the coastal city of Wenling in Zhejiang province, Xinhua news agency said, quoting the provincial observatory.

By Saturday evening, Zhejiang and neighbouring Fujian had evacuated more than one million people as the typhoon was expected to make landfall in the region on Sunday.

Zhejiang evacuated more than 837,000 residents and recalled more than 32,000 boats to port, Xinhua said, while Fujian had relocated about 230,000 people and recalled nearly 37,000 vessels.

Zhejiang had closed most of its seaside tourist spots and evacuated more than 500,000 holiday-makers who had flocked to the coast for the week-long National Day holiday, Xinhua said, quoting the provincial tourism bureau director Zhao Jinyong.

Zhejiang flood control headquarters issued an urgent alert late Saturday for local governments to take all necessary precautions and the marine monitoring centre warned of storm tides with waves up to 12 metres forecast along the coast for the next 24 hours, according to Xinhua.

The nearby metropolis of Shanghai, which is hosting Sunday’s Formula One Grand Prix and the Special Olympics, recalled all flood prevention workers as a precaution in case the typhoon changes course and heads further north, the agency said.

Krosa left two people dead, two missing and at least 17 others injured earlier on Saturday as it pounded Taiwan with powerful winds and torrential rain, rescuers said.

In Taipei, a 30-year-old man was killed when mudslides crushed his house and rescuers were digging desperately through the ruins for his missing 60-year-old father, said the National Fire Agency, which coordinates rescue work.

A 79-year-old man fell to death from a roof while a cook went missing when the hostel he worked for in the north of the island was hit by mudslides, it said.

The streets in dozens of locations in the capital Taipei were flooded while strong winds uprooted trees and swept away billboards and shop signs.

At least 17 people were injured by falling trees and signs or broken glasses and one man suffered a broken bone when he was swept into a rock by large waves.

Electricity supplies were disrupted in more than two million households island-wide, authorities said, with some office buildings having repeated blackouts in the afternoon.

Most domestic trains, ferries and flights were cancelled.

Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific Airways said it had cancelled all flights to and from Taipei until midday (0400 GMT) Sunday.—AFP