Taiwan races to rescue sailors stranded by Typhoon Gaemi as China warns of wide impacts: Live updates

Taiwan ’s coast guard is working to rescue dozens of sailors stranded off its southern coast after Typhoon Gaemi sank one freighter and left eight others stranded.

The typhoon flooded streets, knocked out power and killed at least five people in Taiwan before heading to China . It earlier killed 22 people in the Philippines .

Seventy-nine crew members are awaiting rescue on the eight freighters that were stranded, the coast guard said. Nine people were rescued earlier today from a Togo-flagged freighter stranded on a beach.

Typhoon Gaemi made landfall in China on Thursday evening, after officials issued widespread flood warnings and evacuations.

More than 290,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in Fujian while emergency responses were put in place and flights and trains have been cancelled.

Gaemi is forecast to unleash intense rainfall in at least 10 Chinese provinces, including the capital Beijing , in the coming days, areas that have already been soaked by days of rainfall.

Gaemi has drawn comparisons with Typhoon Doksuri last year, which triggered historic flooding as far north as Beijing and caused nationwide losses of nearly $30bn.