Over one million evacuated as Typhoon Khanun slams

BEIJING, Monday (AFP) - More than a million people were evacuated from their homes in China's eastern province of Zhejiang as Typhoon Khanun hit the region Sunday, state media reported.

Typhoon Khanun was expected to batter major cities in the coastal province and neighbouring Shanghai, Xinhua news agency said, citing local meteorological bureaus.

Strong winds and torrential rains brought by Khanun have already inundated some counties and towns in Zhejiang and caused blackouts in parts of the province, but there were no reports of any injuries so far, it said.

More than a million residents in areas affected by the typhoon have been moved to safer places, and more than 37,625 ships and boats have returned to harbour, according to Zhejiang authorities.

The commercial metropolis of Shanghai had evacuated more than 100,000 people and upgraded its typhoon emergency warning from yellow to red, Xinhua said.