South China island province upgrades emergency response to super typhoon Yagi

HAIKOU, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- The southern Chinese island province of Hainan issued the second highest-level emergency response to typhoon Yagi on Thursday, according to the provincial disaster management authority.

Yagi, the 11th typhoon of the year, has developed into a super typhoon at level 17, packing winds of up to 209 km per hour, and is moving toward Hainan, according to the provincial meteorological bureau.

By 6 p.m. Wednesday, 217 offshore construction and oil drilling workers had stopped operation and been evacuated. As of 7 p.m., over 34,700 fishing boats in Hainan had returned to ports or other places to seek shelter from the typhoon and more than 78,000 fishermen had been evacuated to land.

Haikou, the capital city of Hainan, will suspend work, schools, local transport and other services starting from Thursday noon. Additionally, multiple scenic spots in Hainan have been temporarily closed.

Typhoon Yagi is moving northwest at a speed of about 10 to 15 km per hour, and is forecast to make landfall on Friday afternoon or at night somewhere between the city of Qionghai in Hainan and Dianbai District of Maoming, Guangdong Province.