At least nine people have died in a hospital fire in Taiwan as a typhoon struck the south of the island

TAIPEI, Taiwan – A fire at a hospital in southern Taiwan killed at least nine people on Thursday as a typhoon hit the island.

The fire occurred in Pingtung county, which was hit hard by Typhoon Krathon, which made landfall in the afternoon with torrential rain and strong winds, bringing parts of the island to a standstill.

The deceased inhaled smoke from the fire, the cause of which is still under investigation.

Soldiers from a nearby base were mobilized to help medical personnel and firefighters evacuate patients and put out the flames. According to reports, 176 patients were brought to the main entrance and transferred to ambulances or tarpaulins to protect them from the pouring rain. They were taken to nearby emergency shelters.

Taiwan’s weather authorities said Krathon made landfall in the major port city of Kaohsiung, bringing winds of 126 km/h (78 mph) with stronger gusts.

The slow-moving typhoon has flooded the eastern and southern parts of the island over the past five days, forcing thousands to evacuate from mountainous and lowland areas. The weather agency is telling residents of Kaohsiung and Pingtung counties not to go outside if the eye of the storm passes over their area.

Floods and strong winds have caused significant damage to the fishing and chemical industries, while disrupting transportation routes and power grids. Taiwan has made significant progress in fire safety in public facilities in recent years by banning smoking and pushing forward with the implementation of building codes.

___

In this version, the spelling of Pingtung County has been corrected.