FUZHOU, July 24 (Xinhua) -- East China's Fujian Province has announced the suspension of all its passenger train services on Thursday and some on Friday due to the approaching Typhoon Gaemi, said local authorities on Wednesday.
On Wednesday morning, Fujian upgraded the emergency response level for typhoons from Level III to Level II and activated a level IV emergency response for rainstorms, as Typhoon Gaemi, the third typhoon of this year, is projected to make landfall along the province's coast on Thursday.
So far, Fuzhou Changle International Airport in Fujian has canceled 13 flights, and the departure of multiple flights has been delayed.
As of 10 a.m. Wednesday, a total of 66 passenger ferry routes and 180 passenger ferry vessels along the coast of Fujian have been suspended. The passenger ferry services in the cities of Ningde, Fuzhou, Pingtan and Quanzhou have all been halted, and some ferry routes in Xiamen, Zhangzhou and Putian are also being gradually suspended.
The Fujian Maritime Safety Administration has dispatched four rescue helicopters and three professional rescue vessels on standby along the province's coast, and 49 patrol boats and 104 tugs are also ready for emergency response.
China Railway Nanchang Group Co., Ltd. has also prepared more than 500 large-scale emergency repair machines, with over 4,000 people on standby.
The typhoon is expected to make landfall along the coast of central or northern Taiwan on Wednesday night. After crossing the island, it is projected to make landfall between Thursday afternoon and midnight along the coast between Fujian's Fuding and Jinjiang, according to the meteorological authorities in Fujian. ■