Typhoon Krathon Makes Landfall In Taiwan With Strong Winds, Rains

TAIPEI, Oct 3 (Bernama-dpa) – Typhoon Krathon made landfall in southern Taiwan on Thursday, slowly moving northwards while causing an increase in injuries from accidents linked to the strong winds and heavy rains accompanying it, the German news agency (dpa) reported.

At 12.40 pm (0440 GMT), the storm's eye hit Kaohsiung City in southern Taiwan, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). 

A "National Level Strong Wind Warning" was issued for residents in Kaohsiung and neighbouring Pingtung County, urging them to stay indoors.

Kaohsiung Port recorded a record gust of 63.1 metres per second (m/s), with 8.4-metre-high waves breaching the embankment. Large equipment, including coal unloaders, collapsed, Nextapple News reported.

The Central Emergency Operation Centre (CEOC) on Thursday reported that the death toll from the typhoon remained at two, while one person in eastern Hualien County was still missing. The number of injuries, meanwhile, surged to 219, up from 102 on Wednesday.

Television footage showed flooding, downed trees and vehicles crushed in Kaohsiung, with motorcyclists being knocked over by the strong winds.

A total of 12,222 households in Kaohsiung experienced water outages, while 106,859 households in Kaohsiung and Pingtung lost power.

The CWA reported torrential rain, with mountainous areas in eastern Taitung County accumulating 1,684 millimetres of rainfall over five days.

The weather will continue to be affected until Friday, the CWA said. Officials warned of potential floods and mudslides. 

Officials said that 10,208 residents were evacuated from disaster-prone areas across 14 counties and cities.

-- BERNAMA-dpa