Typhoon lashes east China coast

The elderly were carried to safety by rescue workers in Taizhou

At least 14 people have been killed in eastern China after a typhoon brought torrential rain, state media reported.

Typhoon Khanun flattened 20,000 houses, and destroyed large swathes of crops, industrial units and infrastructure in Zhejiang province.

More than one million people were moved from their homes as a precaution.

TV footage showed waves crashing into the shore, flooded streets, trees bent double and rescuers carrying the elderly to safety.

Xinhua news agency said on Monday that 14 people had been killed and one was missing in Zhejiang.

Taizhou city in Zhejiang bore the initial brunt of the typhoon. Other coastal cities were also hit as Khanun headed north.

But the typhoon was weakening and has since been downgraded to a tropical storm.

The severe weather forced some flights to be cancelled in Shanghai, China's most populous city, and caused minor damage to some homes.

Typhoon Khanun is the 15th to hit China this season, and earlier this month Typhoon Talim left at least 32 dead, while in August Typhoon Matsa forced a million people to flee their homes.

Flood alerts

Many people, evacuated by the army, were taken to schools, railway stations, hotels and other solid buildings, he added.

The provincial government in mountainous Zhejiang has issued an alert warning local officials to prepare for flooding and landslides.

Typhoon Khanun skirted the island of Taiwan on Saturday, after forecasters predicted an almost direct hit.

Japan's southern islands suffered strong winds, high waves and heavy rains as the storm passed.

Opening hours at some polling stations were altered to make sure citizens could still vote in Japan's general election despite the weather.