BEIJING, August 18 (RIA Novosti) - More than 8,000 cargo vessels are stuck in eastern China due to flooding caused by typhoon Morakot, the Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday.
High water levels have forced the authorities to suspend navigation on a river linking Changxing, Huzhou and Shanghai, creating a 40-kilometer tailback.
Rain storms associated with typhoon Morakot caused widespread flooding, and the waterway has been closed to shipping for the past 13 days because of safety concerns.
Authorities say shipping services will not resume until the water recedes to a safe level. It is not clear how long this might take, although steps were being taken to accelerate the process.
Morakot was the eighth typhoon to hit China this year. It has claimed at least six lives and caused an estimated $1.33 billion in damage. The Chinese authorities have allocated $77.2 million to help those affected.
