China Says 59 Troops Missing

BEIJING — China said 59 of its soldiers were washed away by raging floodwaters sparked by Typhoon Longwang, and President Hu Jintao called for an all-out search, state media reported today.

The typhoon slammed into China’s southeast coast late Sunday. It was downgraded Monday afternoon to a tropical storm, but not before wreaking havoc on low-lying coastal areas.

The 59 soldiers, members of China’s paramilitary armed police in charge of domestic security, were in a training school barracks in Fujian province when the floods hit Monday night, state media said.

Two buildings at the school were washed away, the reports said.

If the troops are confirmed dead, it would dramatically raise China’s official death toll from the typhoon, which stands at 15. The typhoon also killed at least one person on Taiwan.

Chinese authorities had evacuated more than 500,000 people from coastal areas ahead of the storm, forcing boats to return to harbor and closing tourist sites.