(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-10-09 06:36

HANGZHOU -- Tropical storm Krosa has affected more than 5 million people in east China's Zhejiang Province after it drenched the Chinese mainland's southeast coast.

Vehicles drive slowly in heavy rains in Fuding, Fujian Province October 7, 2007. Typhoon Krosa slammed into southeast coast provinces Sunday afternoon, prompting the evacuation of more than 1 million people, and it weakened to a tropical storm after coming ashore. [Xinhua]

Krosa made landfall at the coast between Zhejiang and Fujian provinces Sunday afternoon as a typhoon, the 16th this year, but it quickly weakened to a tropical storm without causing casualties in the Chinese mainland.

The storm, which had prompted evacuation of more than 1.41 million people in the two provinces, affected 5.38 million residents in 649 townships of seven cities across Zhejiang, incurring 4.58 billion yuan in economic losses, the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters said on Monday.

Krosa brought about strong winds and an average precipitation of 127 mm over the past two days, pulling down at least 1,651 houses, inundating parts of four counties and making rivers swollen, according to the headquarters.

The storm paralyzed transportation services, cut off power supplies, suspended schooling and tourist businesses in some areas.

Ship services between Fuzhou, capital of Fujian, and Mawei resumed on Monday after being halted on Saturday.

Krosa has been hovering over Zhejiang since Sunday and is moving eastward at a speed of about 10 km per hour.

In the eastern metropolis of Shanghai, where the Special Olympics is taking place, the city government had relocated about 8,800 people, mainly workers, by Sunday evening from the coastal areas amid gales and torrential rains of up to 160 mm.

Rescuers saved 22 sailors of two Zhejiang-registered ships which were stranded near the beach of Shanghai early Sunday morning.

Krosa has left five dead, two missing and 56 injured in Taiwan, in addition to cutting off power supplies and halting highway and air traffic,according to Taiwan media reports.