Flooding and landslides from Typhoon Fanapi killed 13 people in southern China and left at least 33 missing, an official said Wednesday, as the strongest storm to hit the country this year continued to drop heavy rain on parts of the region. The typhoon hit Guangdong province after making a direct hit on the island of Taiwan on Sunday and killing two there. China's national meteorological center said Fanapi is the strongest typhoon to hit China this year. It forecast heavy or torrential rains for parts of central and western parts of Guangdong through Thursday morning. An official with Guangdong's flood, drought and wind control department said 13 were killed in landslides and flooding. The state-run Xinhua News Agency said the dead included five people killed when a dam at the Xinyi Yinyan Tin Mine in Xinyi city was hit by a landslide and collapsed. The report cited city officials. Nearly 350 houses were toppled in Xinyi, Xinhua reported. In southern Taiwan, two people died in flash flooding caused by Fanapi, which did tens of millions of dollars of damage, dumping more than 40 inches (one meter) of rain in some places, the Associated Press reported. Fanapi was the first major storm to strike the island this year and the 11th typhoon to hit China. It had weakened significantly before landing in China's Fujian province.
