Typhoon Matsa devastated the eastern Chinese coast and caused the deaths of at least four people, reports said Sunday. More than one million people were evacuated ahead of the typhoon that registered wind speeds higher than force 12, according to DPA. Although the typhoon weakened to a tropical storm as it moved inland on Sunday, authorities on the coast continued to warn of flood-level rains and high water. The port city of Shanghai with its 17 million population was largely paralyzed, with both airports in China's largest business hub closed for a time. One worker was killed and two others injured when a dwelling collapsed on a building site. In the surrounding province of Zhejiang, two people died in a landslide. Damages in the region were estimated at 6.5 billion yuan (800 million dollars). There was one further death reported in the province of Anhui. Soldiers from the People's Liberation Army helped with salvage and rescue operations. It was at first feared that the typhoon could have a more serious impact than Rananim in 2004 which resulted in 164 deaths. In coastal areas which were most at risk from the storm, 1.24 million people were moved to safety as a precaution.
