Typhoon Kalmaegi kills six in Taiwan

BEIJING, July 18 (UPI) -- Typhoon Kalmaegi battered Taiwan Friday, killing at least six people and injuring six others as it traveled toward mainland China, emergency officials said.

Another six people were reported missing as the storm dumped heavy rain on central and southern Taiwan, CNN reported. Many low-lying areas, especially in southern Taiwan, reported flooding.

Forecasters predicted the storm to reach the coastal areas of southeastern China Friday, prompting officials in Zhejiang and Fujian provinces to prepare for flooding, reported Xinhua, China's state-run news agency.

China's state flood control agency instituted a level-three flood control emergency response mechanism to cope with the storm, Xinhua said. Departments dealing weather forecasting, water resources and transportation were ordered to monitor the situation to provide advance information to the public.

Ships and boats were advised to return to ports.

Forecasters predicted severe storms and heavy rains could hit coastal cities in the provinces in the next two days. Shanghai, China's largest metropolitan city, is in the path of Kalmaegi.

Kalmaegi, which spawned in the Pacific Ocean, was upgraded to typhoon level Thursday. It is the seventh Pacific tropical storm this year.