Strongest typhoon in decades kills 16 in southern China; Philippine death up to 94

BEIJING (AP) — The strongest typhoon to hit southern China in four decades has killed 16 people after claiming at least 94 lives in the Philippines.

The Xinhua News Agency reports Typhoon Rammasun is blamed for seven deaths and dozens of injuries after hitting Hainan island off China’s southern coast on Friday. Nine people died later in the Guangxi region as the storm plowed into the mainland on its way north to Vietnam.

The China Meteorological Administration says the typhoon is hit China with wind speeds reaching 130 miles per hour, knocking down power lines and damaging buildings.

Authorities in southern China have ordered the highest level of alert and suspended hundreds of buses, trains and flights across the region.

The typhoon had wreaked havoc earlier in the week in the northern Philippines, leaving 94 people dead.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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