TAIPEI, July 18 (Reuters) - Six people were killed, six injured and another six missing in the wake of Typhoon Kalmaegi, a relatively light storm that swept over northeast Taiwan early on Friday before churning towards China.

The typhoon also caused 157 cases of flooding, and led to several flight delays and cancellations, according to the National Fire Agency.

At 0620 GMT, Taiwan's National Weather Bureau had the storm, with maximum sustained winds of up to 90 kph, on track to hit the China coast on Saturday morning, before taking a turn to the northeast on a track toward the Korean peninsula.

Kalmaegi, the first typhoon to hit Taiwan this year, was relatively mild, causing minor flooding and crop damage, but still prompting government authorities to issue sea warnings for the areas around the island.

The storm resulted in T$86.93 million ($2.9 million) worth of crop damage, and T$20 million in damage to livestock, according to government statistics.

Evening classes were canceled on parts of the island on Thursday night as the storm approached, but all businesses and schools were open as usual on Friday.

Typhoons regularly reach China, Taiwan, the Philippines and Japan from July until the end of the year, gathering strength from the warm waters of the Pacific or the South China Sea before weakening over land.

Krosa, the last typhoon to hit Taiwan, kept people indoors as work and classes were cancelled last year. (Reporting by Doug Young; Editing by Ken Wills and Jerry Norton)

AlertNet news is provided by