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Heavy typhoon
Nepartak hit Taiwan on Friday, driving thousands of people from their
homes, disrupting power supplies and grounding more than 600 flights,
authorities said.
Television
showed toppled motorcycles and signboards being ripped from buildings
and swept across roads in southeast Taiwan, where the year’s first
typhoon made landfall.
showed toppled motorcycles and signboards being ripped from buildings
and swept across roads in southeast Taiwan, where the year’s first
typhoon made landfall.
By
afternoon, the typhoon had moved into the Taiwan Strait, weakening as
it headed towards China’s southeastern province of Fujian, but flooding
and strong winds continued to lash the island’s central and southern
areas.
afternoon, the typhoon had moved into the Taiwan Strait, weakening as
it headed towards China’s southeastern province of Fujian, but flooding
and strong winds continued to lash the island’s central and southern
areas.
More
than 17,300 people were evacuated from their homes, and over 517,000
households suffered power outages, emergency officials said.
than 17,300 people were evacuated from their homes, and over 517,000
households suffered power outages, emergency officials said.
“The wind is very strong,” said a resident of Taitung, the eastern Taiwan city where the typhoon landed.
“Many hut roofs and signs have been blown off.”
Three
deaths and 172 injuries were reported, bullet train services were
suspended and over 340 international and 300 domestic flights canceled,
an emergency services website showed.
deaths and 172 injuries were reported, bullet train services were
suspended and over 340 international and 300 domestic flights canceled,
an emergency services website showed.
The typhoon halted work in most of Taiwan. There were no reports of damage at semiconductor plants in the south.
Tropical
Storm Risk had rated the typhoon as category 5, at the top of its
ranking, but it was weakening and should be a tropical storm by the time
it hits Fujian on Saturday morning.
Storm Risk had rated the typhoon as category 5, at the top of its
ranking, but it was weakening and should be a tropical storm by the time
it hits Fujian on Saturday morning.
More
than 4,000 people working on coastal fish farms in Fujian were
evacuated and fishing boats recalled to port, the official China News
Service said.
than 4,000 people working on coastal fish farms in Fujian were
evacuated and fishing boats recalled to port, the official China News
Service said.
The
storm is expected to worsen already severe flooding in parts of central
and eastern China, particularly in the major city of Wuhan.
storm is expected to worsen already severe flooding in parts of central
and eastern China, particularly in the major city of Wuhan.
Typhoons are common at this time of year in the South China Sea, picking up strength over warm waters and dissipating over land.
In
2009, Typhoon Morakot cut a swathe of destruction through southern
Taiwan, killing about 700 people and causing damage of up to $3 billion.
