China Evacuates 100,000 on Hainan Due to Typhoon

Chinese state media say authorities have evacuatedHainan's tourism industry, prompting many Chinese
100,000 people to safety on the southern island oftourists to cancel their bookings. Hainan's hotels and
Hainan ahead of an approaching typhoon.resorts are usually packed during China's week-long
Typhoon Lekima is expected to skirt the southernNational Day holiday, which began Monday.
coast of Hainan early Wednesday, bringing heavy rainAfter leaving Hainan, Lekima is forecast to move
and winds of up to 119 kilometers per hour.west-northwest across the Gulf of Tonkin, before
The official Xinhua news agency says authorities onmaking landfall in northern Vietnam later this week.
Hainan ordered more than 20,000 fishing boats toThe storm killed at least eight people in the northern
return to port. They also opened the sluice gates of 17Philippines on Sunday.
reservoirs to divert possible floodwaters.Some information for this report was provided by
Xinhua says the storm has dealt a heavy blow toAFP.