Typhoon Dujuan reaches mainland China after killing 2 in Taiwan

A typhoon struck mainland China on Tuesday after lashing Taiwan, where it killed two, injured hundreds and left hundreds of thousands without power or water.

Typhoon Dujuan passed through Taiwan for three hours on Monday night, bringing high winds and rain. More than 100 flights in China's southern province of Fujian were cancelled and trains suspended as the storm approached and crossed over the mainland.

Taiwan's Central News Agency, citing the government's emergency operations centre, said Tuesday that the typhoon had left two people dead, 324 injured and six mountain climbers missing. A total of 710,000 households were without electricity and 370,000 without water.

Bon Jovi cancelled concerts planned for Monday and Tuesday in Taiwan because of the storm, which were to be the first ones there by the American rock band in 20 years, event promoter Live Nation Taiwan said on Facebook. Bon Jovi had added the second date in Taiwan earlier this month along with a new concert in Bangkok after performances in Beijing and Shanghai were abruptly cancelled, reportedly over the band's inclusion of a picture of the Dalai Lama in a video that angered Chinese authorities.

Typhoon Dujuan made landfall in southeastern Fujian province Tuesday morning, packing maximum wind speeds of 119 kilometres per hour near its centre, before weakening into a tropical storm, according to the National Meteorological Center. It was moving northwestward at a speed of 20 kph and was due to reach neighbouring Jiangxi province by Tuesday night.

Ahead of its arrival, thousands of fishing boats returned to shore, ports were closed and in one city classes at middle schools, primary schools and kindergartens were suspended, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.