Typhoon Bavi triggers China evacuations after deadly Philippines landslides

Taipei,UPDATED: Jul 11, 2026 19:10 IST

Chinese authorities evacuated more than 1.7 million people and issued high alerts on Saturday as Typhoon Bavi moved towards eastern China after bringing strong winds and rain to Taiwan and Japan's southern islands. In the Philippines, at least 17 people were killed, mostly in landslides triggered by seasonal monsoon rains that were intensified by the storm.

With maximum sustained winds of 144 kph near its centre, Bavi was passing north of Taiwan on Saturday, according to Taiwan's Central Weather Administration. The typhoon is expected to move towards Zhejiang in eastern China, make landfall before midnight or in the early hours of Sunday, and then move inland, according to China's Meteorological Center.

In Zhejiang province, authorities evacuated more than 1.7 million people by Saturday morning, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported. In Shanghai, about 34,000 residents were moved from high-risk areas by Saturday noon. In Fujian province, coastal cities were also preparing for the storm. In Ningde city, more than 3,700 people were relocated from high-risk onshore areas by Friday evening, while more than 17,000 emergency rescue workers were kept on standby across the province.

China's Meteorological Center issued an orange typhoon alert, the second-highest in its four-level warning system. Many schools and ferry services were suspended, hundreds of flights were cancelled and some high-speed railway services were halted. State broadcaster CCTV said the centre also issued the year's first red alert for rainstorms on Saturday. Chinese authorities said they had allocated 40 million yuan in central natural disaster relief funds to support typhoon prevention, emergency rescue and relief work in Zhejiang and Fujian.

In the Philippines, a landslide triggered by monsoon rains intensified by Bavi hit a village before dawn on Friday in Malapatan town in southern Sarangani province, killing at least 10 villagers and leaving three others missing, Office of Civil Defense spokesperson Diego Mariano said. Another landslide before dawn on Friday in Calanogas town in southern Lanao del Sur province killed five people, with six others missing, he said. Mariano also said two people drowned in floodwaters on Wednesday in Bukidnon province.

Office of Civil Defense deputy administrator Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV said around 11,000 villagers had moved to 77 emergency shelters, mostly in southern Philippine provinces, in recent days because of the stormy weather.

In Taiwan, authorities recorded at least 113 injuries as of 7 pm on Saturday, including some suffered by motorcyclists travelling on slippery roads in heavy rain and strong winds. More than 14,200 people were evacuated across the island, including from Hualien county in the east and Taichung in central Taiwan. Schools and offices in most parts of Taiwan were shut on Saturday.

In Japan's southern Okinawa prefecture, local authorities warned of high waves, strong winds and storm surges. Public broadcaster NHK said more than 200 flights were cancelled across the region, while strong winds and rain hit islands including Ishigaki.

Typhoon Bavi left a trail of disruption across the region on Saturday, with mass evacuations in China, injuries and service suspensions in Taiwan, warnings and flight cancellations in Japan, and deadly landslides and flooding in the Philippines.

With PTI Inputs

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