Tropical Storm Nuri Kills 3 in China

Tropical storm Nuri killed three people in southern China as it battered the region with strong winds Friday, state media reported.

Nuri, which was originally classified as a typhoon and killed seven people in the Philippines, had weakened by the time it reached Hong Kong Friday. It caused little damage in the Chinese territory.

But in southern Guangdong province, the storm toppled a traffic sign which crushed a passing van on a highway, killing three people inside, local police told the official Xinhua News Agency.

Officials evacuated 87,000 people and recalled more than 45,000 vessels in Guangdong, Xinhua said.

Nuri will continue to move northwest and torrential rains are expected in western Guangdong and the Pearl River Delta, it said.
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In Hong Kong, a man disappeared while swimming near a local beach and 19 people were injured, five seriously, the government said in a statement.

There also were reports of toppled trees, collapsed walls and scaffoldings.

Flights, bus and ferry services were canceled, and offices, schools and financial markets were closed. At least 496 passenger flights were either canceled or delayed and another 15 diverted, the government said in a statement.

The bad weather didn't affect the Olympic equestrian competition, which finished late Thursday.