Haikui damage estimated at 1.46b yuan

BEIJING -- Insurers have assessed that damage caused by typhoon Haikui has reached 1.46 billion yuan ($230 million), according to an announcement on Monday by China's insurance regulator.

The figure was calculated based on claims filed for property loss in typhoon-swept regions as of Monday, the China Insurance Regulatory Commission said in a statement.

Haikui has "inflicted heavy losses" on the southeastern coastal regions, with 45,681 insurance claims filed in cities and provinces including Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Anhui as of Monday, the CIRC said.

Insurers estimated a total of 830 million yuan in corporate property and engineering project losses and 460 million yuan in agricultural losses, according to the CIRC.

Haikui, which means "sea anemone" in Chinese, was the 11th typhoon of the year and made landfall in Zhejiang province last week, bringing gales and heavy downpours to China's eastern coast.

Four provincial-level regions in east China were evacuated of more than 2.17 million people, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said on Friday.

Meteorological authorities in Anhui said on Saturday that Haikui had weakened into a tropical depression.