Thousands Stranded as Typhoon Rams China

Taiwan, Japan, Philippines, China hit; at least 35 dead

(AP) - A typhoon-spawned mudslide engulfed a mountain village in southern Taiwan, burying up to 600 people, a police official and a rescued villager said today. Earlier, Typhoon Morakot had struck the Philippines, leaving at least 22 dead. Another typhoon slammed into Japan's west coast today, bringing heavy rain that triggered floods and landslides that left at least 13 people dead and another 10 reported missing. More»

(NEWSER) - Some 700 people feared dead in Taiwan's mudslides have been found alive and rescued from the disaster zone, the BBC reports. Military helicopters have been evacuating people from rural areas in southern Taiwan, where mudslides caused by Typhoon Morakot engulfed several mountain villages. Hundreds of other people are still missing and feared dead or trapped in their buried homes. More»

Typhoon Wipha could be worst in a decade

(NEWSER) - The Chinese government is evacuating 1.8 million people ahead of what is expected to be one of the most powerful typhoons to strike the mainland in years. Typhoon Wipha is bearing down on the densely populated coast with wind gusts at 165 mph and waves up to 36 feet high. Wipha is predicted to make landfall south of Shanghai early tomorrow. More»

Military clears villagers from flood-prone areas as Ketsana grows stronger

(NEWSER) - Typhoon Ketsana slammed central Vietnam today, flooding towns and villages and killing at least 32 people. Roughly 170,000 people were evacuated before the storm hit. State-run TV called it the worst storm the country had seen in more than three decades. Meanwhile, the death toll in the Philippines climbed to 246, Reuters reports. Officials there estimate the economic damage at nearly $100 million. More»

(AP) - Taiwan has agreed to let the Dalai Lama visit the island to comfort survivors of a devastating typhoon, a decision that could anger China. Beijing considers the Buddhist spiritual leader a "splittist" for promoting autonomy in the Chinese region of Tibet. Allowing him to visit Taiwan could undermine the rapidly improving relations between Beijing and Taipei, which have been developing close business ties after decades of enmity. More»