China girds for Typhoon Rammasun

BEIJING—Southern China and Vietnam were bracing Friday for the arrival of Typhoon Rammasun after the massive storm killed at least 54 people in the Philippines.

Rammasun was due to hit land Friday afternoon on Hainan Island off China’s southern coast and Guangdong province on the mainland with winds of up to 180 kph (112 mph), the official Xinhua News Agency said. It said the typhoon might become the strongest in 40 years to hit Hainan, which draws millions of tourists every year.

Xinhua said more than 26,000 people on Hainan had been evacuated and authorities required resorts and tour bus companies to suspend operations through Saturday afternoon.

The local news website Hainan Net said ferries to the mainland and train service on the eastern part of the island were suspended, while Xinhua reported that 36 trains in the Guangxi region had been stopped.

The storm brought high winds and rain to Hong Kong and was due to plow through northern Vietnam after passing Hainan.

Rammasun barreled through the northern Philippines on Wednesday, drenching the capital of Manila. The deadly typhoon forced the evacuation of half a million people and knocked out power to whole provinces.

The Philippines’ National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council on Friday updated the death toll to 54, with three more people missing and 100 injured.