China ? China said 59 of its soldiers were washed away by raging floodwaters sparked by Typhoon Longwang, and the country’s president has called for an all-out search, state media have reported.

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

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

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

President Hu Jintao ordered that no efforts be spared to search for them, state newspapers reported.

If they are confirmed dead, it would dramatically raise China’s official death toll from Typhoon Longwang, which stands at three.