Chinese workers today battled to avert a chemical spill as powerful sea waves triggered by an approaching tropical storm breached a dike protecting a chemical plant in the country's northeast coast. Waves as high as 20 meters, fuelled by strong winds, broke the dike in Jinshan Industrial Zone of Dalian City, today threatening to hit the compound of Fujiahua chemical plant where toxic chemicals were stored. The state-run Xinhua news agency reported that residents in nearby areas of the chemical plant are being evacuated.A ccording to local weather forecast reports, the tropical storm Muifa, previously a typhoon, is expected to hit Liaoning coast, where Dalian is located, today afternoon. Meanwhile, more than 1 lakh people were evacuated in east China's Shandong Province today as the tropical storm Muifa continues to move along the country's eastern coast. Local authorities said, more than 20,000 fishing boats were called back to harbour by early today morning. According to the provincial meteorological observatory the storm, which weakened from a powerful typhoon yesterday, has unleashed torrential rains in the coastal areas of Shandong.The storm was located about 100 km southeast of the province and was moving north at a speed of 25 km per hour. Muifa, the ninth typhoon to hit China this year, swirled into the East China Sea on Friday. It is predicted to land somewhere between north China's Liaoning Province and North Korea today.