2 people reported dead in China as Typhoon Bebinca is downgraded to a tropical storm

BEIJING (AP) — Two people died in China’s eastern Jiangsu province as Typhoon Bebinca brought torrential rains and powerful winds before easing into a tropical storm, state media reported Tuesday.

Two residents of Zhoushi Town, about 80 kilometers (31 miles) northwest of Shanghai, were hit by a falling high-voltage power line and electrocuted on Monday, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

They are the only known deaths thus far to be caused by Bebinca, which swept over the megacity of Shanghai and neighboring provinces on Monday, flooding roads with water and broken tree branches and knocking out power to some homes.

One resident of Shanghai’s Chongming Island was also reported injured by a falling tree.

More than 414,000 people were evacuated ahead of the powerful winds and torrential rain. Schools were closed and people were advised to stay indoors, while flights, ferries and train services were suspended.

The typhoon, which weather authorities described as the strongest to hit Shanghai since at least 1949, weakened as it moved inland. Around 2 a.m. on Tuesday, it was downgraded to a tropical storm.

The National Meteorological Center warned that parts of Anhui, Henan, Hebei, Shandong and Jiangsu provinces could see heavy or torrential rains, with up to 20 centimeters (8 inches) of rainfall, through Wednesday afternoon.

In Shanghai, roads were cleared and traffic had returned to normal by Monday evening, while the power supply had been completely restored by midnight Tuesday, authorities said.