Typhoon hits China after causing floods and giant oil spill

The typhoon has caused severe flooding in parts of Asia, including the Philippines

A powerful typhoon has been sweeping across parts of Asia.

The storm, which has been named Typhoon Gaemi, has caused flooding and landslides across Taiwan and the Philippines.

The severe weather conditions forced schools and government offices to close in the Philippines capital, Manila earlier this week.

Thousands of people living in the south-eastern Chinese province of Fujian were relocated ahead of the typhoon reaching the mainland.

Authorities in the region warned heavy rains could trigger landslides and flooding.

Public transport, offices, schools and markets were also shut in some cities in the province.

People in Taiwan were also affected by the poor weather conditions

The powerful storm had caused lots of damage before reaching China on Thursday evening.

It sunk large commercial ships, including an oil tanker carrying close to 1.5 million litres of industrial fuel off the coast of Manila on Thursday.

The Philippines is now carrying out a huge operation to contain an oil spill caused after the tanker capsized.

The oil slick, which stretches several kilometres, was described by a coast guard in the country as "enormous".

The Philippines is working to contain the oil spill created after a tanker capsized

Officials had said they were racing against time to prevent what could be the worst oil spill in the country’s history. However, the poor weather conditions have slowed down efforts.

"No oil has been leaking from the tank itself, so we're racing against time to syphon the oil so we can avoid the environmental catastrophe," said coast guard spokesman Rear Admiral Armando Balilo.

Manila Bay, where the tanker capsized, is home to busy shipping lanes, as well as shopping malls and fishing communities on its shores.