FUZHOU, China, Aug. 9 (UPI) -- Typhoon Morakot buffeted China's mainland Sunday and Tropical Storm Goni killed at least three fishermen off the southern island of Hainan, authorities said.
Another 26 fishermen and merchant mariners were unaccounted for as Goni hammered Hainan, sinking an estimated 10 vessels and grounding a 30,000-ton cargo ship.
The state-run Xinhua news agency said about 100 aircraft and ships were searching for the missing.
Zhejiang and Fujian Provinces were hit hard by Typhoon Morakot. A child was reported killed in the collapse of his family's home.
Xinhua said authorities estimated about 1,800 homes had been destroyed by Morakot, which made landfall with winds howling at 111 mph. The afternoon sky in the coastal town of Beibi darkened so much that citizens needed flashlights to get around while some residents braved the elements to scoop up fish flushed out of area fish farms by the rising waters.
