The typhoon has left another 15 missing in Fujian and Zhejiang provinces of China, Xinhua news agency reported.
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Meranti made landfall in the Xiang’an District of Xiamen early on Thursday.
Taiwan saw wind and rain from a second typhoon, Malakas, that caused no apparent deaths.
China is bracing for its second typhoon in a week after the government raised its alert to “orange” for Typhoon Malakas on Saturday.
Triggering strong wind and downpours, the two typhoons have hit Shanghai Municipality and the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian and Jiangxi since September 14.
Premier Lin Chuan (林全) yesterday criticized Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電) officials for their slow fix efforts following typhoons Meranti and Malakas, which left tens of thousands of households in southern Taiwan and outlying Kinmen County without electricity.
Xinhua said the Meranti typhoon was the most powerful in the world this year and the strongest to hit the region since records began in 1949. In Zhejiang three people died and two were missing, according to the province’s civil affairs bureau.
Meanwhile, officials in Taiwanese capital Taipei have closed offices and schools in anticipation of rough weather from Malakas.
Fujian province said the coastal fishing sector would be affected until September 19 due to the proximity of Malakas, while Shanghai’s Flood Disaster and Flood Control Measurements urged its departments and organisations to be prepared for the arrival of the typhoon.
Reports claim the balloon eventually deflated, without causing any injury or damage.
Twin typhoons that barreled through the island over the Mid-Autumn Festival holidays left behind widespread loss of access to electricity and water in Southern Taiwan and the outlying islands.
Typhoon Meranti hit late last week and continued to cause havoc over the weekend, with winds reported of up to 175 miles per hour causing many vessels to break free from their anchorage.
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The country’s Central Weather Bureau said that north and north-eastern Taiwan were expected to see strong wind and torrential rain later today.
