2 dead and thousands evacuated as typhoon approaches Taiwan

KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan (AP) — An approaching typhoon that brought strong winds and torrential rain to Taiwan killed two people and injured more than 100 people in recent days while forcing thousands to evacuate from low-lying or mountainous areas.

At least 102 people were injured and two people died due to weather conditions attributed to Typhoon Krathon, Taiwan’s central emergency center said on Wednesday.

An elderly man died after falling from a ladder while trimming tree branches in the eastern city of Hualien. Another man died after crashing into fallen rocks while driving in Taitung County. Two others were missing.

The typhoon, with maximum sustained winds of 173 km/h (108 mph) and gusts of 209 km/h (130 mph), was expected to make landfall on Taiwan’s densely populated west coast early Thursday, according to the Central Weather Administration. The strongest winds are expected in the southwestern part of the island.

Typhoons rarely hit Taiwan’s west coast; instead, the mountainous eastern side of the island is affected.

Ahead of the typhoon, at least 128 centimeters (4.2 feet) of rain fell in the coastal district of Taitung and 43 centimeters (17 inches) in the major port city of Kaohsiung over the past four days.

Authorities closed schools and government offices across the island and canceled all domestic flights.

In Hualien County, more than 3,000 people were evacuated from landslide-prone townships. Nearly 200 people in the southwestern city of Tainan and more than 800 residents of the southern Pingtung county were also evacuated.

Kaohsiung, a city of 2.7 million expected to be hit directly by the typhoon, evacuated more than 2,500 of its residents from areas hit by mudslides and landslides. Military personnel helped evacuees get into trucks that took them to shelters.

Most shops and restaurants in the city remained closed for the second day in a row. Shoppers emptied supermarket shelves of essentials such as bread, meat and instant noodles.

Streets and markets were eerily empty. An industrial port south of the city was idle.

Kaohsiung International Airport looked deserted as all flights were canceled. Chan Ka Who, who traveled there from Malaysia on vacation, said he tried to return home but was stuck in Kaohsiung because all flights were suspended.

On Wednesday evening, the typhoon was centered about 110 kilometers (68 miles) southwest of Kaohsiung and was moving northeast at a speed of about 8 km/h (5 miles per hour). It has weakened and will continue to do so after landfall, the weather agency said.

Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai earlier warned residents not to approach flood- and landslide-prone areas near rivers, the sea and mountains. He compared the intensity of Krathon to that of Typhoon Thelma, which severely damaged Kaohsiung in 1977 and claimed 37 lives.

Nearly 40,000 troops were on standby to help with the rescue efforts.

In Pingtung county, residents near a flooded port piled sandbags outside their doors to prevent water from entering. People waded through streets flooded up to their ankles.

The typhoon on Monday lashed the northern Philippine islandsFour people died and at least 5,000 were displaced, officials said.