Fengshen kills nine in China

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BEIJING, Jun 28 (AFP): Tropical storm Fengshen killed nine people as it tore across China's south, pounding the densely populated area with torrential rains, state media said Saturday.

Fengshen, which means "God of Wind", made rivers swell in most parts of Guangdong province, China's industrial powerhouse, after it made landfall in the middle of the week, Xinhua news agency said.

The strong rain affected about 340,000 people, destroyed more than 1,200 houses and inundated more than 640,000 hectares (1.6 million acres) of crops, a provincial flood control headquarters spokesman said, according to Xinhua.

As of late Friday, Fengshen had moved northward, entering into east China's Jiangxi province while gradually losing some of its ferocity, according to Xinhua.

Fengshen killed hundreds of people in the Philippines while categorised as a typhoon, before it took a surprise turn towards southern China.