Heavy rains, floods wreak havoc across Philippines, China, Taiwan, Japan

By Anadolu staff

Typhoon Gaemi that caused heavy rainfall and floods has caused huge damages in Philippines, China, Taiwan and Japan as 21 people killed in Manila, local media said on Friday.

The death toll climbed to 21 as Typhoon Gaemi, locally known as Carina, hit four regions across Philippines caused heavy rains and floods, Manila-based Phil Star reported.

The rains and floods also damaged schools and infrastructure as authorities closed over 700 schools and evacuated hundreds of people from different areas to safe places.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also visited the flood-hit areas and instructed the authorities to do everything" to proceed with the opening of classes as education department plans to reopen schools on July 29.

Typhoon Gaemi also hit the southeastern coastal province Fujian of China, displacing over 628,000 people.

Gaemi was in Sanming City of Fujian Friday's morning and the severe tropical storm is projected to move northwest at a speed of about 20 kilometers (12 mile) per hour, and expected to reach Jiangxi Province Friday evening, CGTN reported.

China's National Meteorological Center also issued an orange alert, the second-highest alert level, for the typhoon on Friday morning.

While typhoon also hit different areas of Taiwan as authorities said that a captain of a cargo ship died while four other crew members missing in another maritime incident after a ship sunk some 16 nautical miles off Kaohsiung, Focus Taiwan reported.

The typhoon also caused heavy rains that triggered severe flooding across Taiwan, with flooding continuing in central and southern areas.

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te also visited the affected areas and announced to provide NT$20,000 ($609) in relief for each households in areas where flooding exceeded 50 centimeters.

In Japan, at least one person was killed and three others missing after heavy rains hit parts of northeastern Japan that caused heavy floods and landslides.

The dead body of a person who is believed to have been swept away by the flooded Omono River in Akita province, while another man was reported missing at a construction site in Yuzawa and two police officers in their 20s in the neighboring Yamagata province have been unreachable after being swept away in a police car, Kyodo News reported.

"We have dispatched the SDF for disaster relief operations. We will continue to gather information and apply every possible measure," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said as flood waters also enter houses in several areas.