GUANGZHOU, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Qiongzhou Strait, separating Hainan Island from the Chinese mainland, reopened to traffic on Friday afternoon as Typhoon Prapiroon weakened to tropical storm and claimed another victim.

More than 650 vehicles and 1,700 passengers were stranded at Beigang and Hai'an ports in Guangdong Province before the strait reopened to traffic at 1:00 p.m.

Only vessels that can withstand winds stronger than seven degrees on the Beaufort Scale are allowed to sail in the strait as Prapiroon is still affecting the area.

Hainan suspended all passenger ferry services across the strait on Wednesday afternoon and 350 ferry vessels entered typhoon-proof berths in the port of Haikou.

Typhoon Prapiroon made landfall between Yangxi County and Dianbai County in western Guangdong at 7:20 p.m. Thursday. Gusting up to 119 kilometers per hour, the winds reached 12 on the Beaufort Scale near its eye.

Prapiroon had weakened to a tropical storm by Friday morning after it swirled into Guangxi, just west of Guangdong, early on Thursday, dumping rains as it swept through.

One person in south China was confirmed dead on Friday, bringing the death toll of Prapiroon to six after it made landfall on Thursday evening.

The victim was hit by a landslide caused by Prapiroon in Pubei County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The region also reported23.8 million yuan (2.98 million U.S. dollars) worth of damage.

The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said earlier on Friday that five people in Guangdong Province were killed in collapsed houses.

Hong Kong International Airport also gradually resumed operations on Friday though thousands of passengers were still stranded in the airport after Typhoon Prapiroon struck the city.

Eight flights had departed and 14 flights arrived at Hong Kong by 8:00 a.m. on Friday, the Hong Kong Airport Authority said. Enditem