Hit by river 'tsunami'

SINGAPORE - A second storm in a week has lashed southern China, creating a large tidal bore which injured many.

More than 30 people were wounded when a 20m-high tidal bore destroyed part of a protection wall along the Qiantang River in Zhejiang province, Sky News reported.

The wave, which sent people scurrying for cover, was the highest recorded in a decade.

A tidal bore occurs when a fast-rising tide is funnelled into an upstream wave by a river.

Typhoon Trami, the 12th to hit China this year, skirted Taiwan before landing in Fujian province and weakening into a tropical storm, AFP reported.

It headed north-west, bringing heavy rain to a region still feeling the effects of Typhoon Utor last weekend.

The Fujian meteorological authorities said that Trami's landfall coincided with high tide, and that heavy rains and tidal bores were to be expected in coastal cities, Xinhua reported.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said on Friday Trami had affected 1.4 million people and forced the relocation of more than 351,000, adding that the storm caused losses of more than 1 billion yuan (S$209 million).

Flooding around China over the past week has left about 250 people dead or missing, reported AFP. Conditions have been especially bad in the north-east, where the Heilong River burst its banks on Thursday, forcing thousands of people to evacuate.

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