Typhoon in China
Reuters

At least 18 people were killed due to a landslide triggered by typhoon Lekima in eastern China's Zhejiang Province. A million people have been forced to evacuate their homes and China's National Meteorological Center issued an orange alert for the typhoon.

According to Xinhua news agency, 16 people went missing after the typhoon made landfall at about 1:45 a.m. Saturday with a wind speed of 187 km per hour, although it had weakened from its earlier designation as a "super" typhoon.

A landslide occurred about 130 km north of the coastal city of Wenzhou after a natural dam collapsed as 160 millimetres of rain was recorded within three hours.

Chinese meteorological department said that the typhoon will weaken as it moves north towards Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces at a speed of about 15 km per hour. Another landfall is also expected on late Sunday in the southern coastal area of the Shandong Peninsula, reported the state media.

Chinese authorities had earlier issued a red alert on Friday. The storm struck northern Taiwan, injuring nine people. Power cuts were reported in thousands of homes. The business was also affected after 500 flights got cancelled and the market remained shut. 

On Saturday, thousands of flights, mostly inbound and outbound from Shanghai's two major airports were cancelled, according to the country's aviation control department.

Transport services, including 200 trains through Jinan in Shandong province, have been suspended until Monday.

State agency reported more than 250,000 residents in Shanghai and 800,000 in Zhejiang province were evacuated as relief measures ahead of the storm. Around 2.72 million households in the region suffered from power cuts after the storm downed the transmission lines. 

While the storm is China's ninth typhoon of the year, Xinhua reported that Lekima is the strongest storm seen in years.

Chinese weather experts said that the combination of the six-magnitude earthquake a day before with the incessant rains has increased the risk of landslides.

Currently, two typhoons - Lekima and Krosa - are coursing in the western Pacific region.

Forecasters have warned that Typhoon Krosa which is moving north-west towards the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam could make landfall in Japan next week.

Last year, Typhoon Mangkhut struck mainland China, leading to the authorities evacuating more than two million people. The storm destroyed properties in Hong Kong and Macau region and killed 59 people in the Phillippines, reported AP.