Killer Tropical Storm Slams East Asia

Posted July 31st, 2011 at 3:15 am (UTC-5)
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A tropical storm that left a path of death and destruction in the Philippines is cutting through China, Vietnam and Thailand, prompting mass evacuations.

China's state-run news agency says Tropical Storm Nock-Ten flooded parts of the southern island province of Hainan early Saturday. Officials said almost 190,000 people were evacuated from their homes to safety.

Vietnamese officials also evacuated residents of some of that country's coastal provinces as Nock-Ten made landfall there Saturday with heavy rains and gusts of wind up to 102 kilometers per hour. Authorities say one man was electrocuted Saturday night by a falling power line.

Nock-Ten was downgraded to a tropical depression after hitting Vietnam, but forecasters warned the storm could bring the country more wind, rain and flooding through Sunday. It was expected to hit Laos Sunday afternoon.

The powerful tropical storm slammed into the Philippines' main island of Luzon Wednesday, with heavy rain and sustained winds of about 95 kilometers an hour.

Philippine officials says at least 41 people were killed as a result of the storm, and several others are missing.

Nock-ten, a Lao word for bird, was the tenth storm to strike the Philippines this year. The Philippines is hit by an average of 20 storms every year.