(Hot news Today Monday 31 July 2017)
111 injured as storms batter Taiwan
TAIPEI — Taiwan was hit yesterday by its second major storm in two days after Typhoon Nesat battered the island, leaving at least 111 injured while causing flooding and widespread power outages.
Much of the island came to a standstill on Saturday after Nesat made landfall in the eastern county of Yilan, whipping up massive waves of more than 15m and dumping up to 58cm of rain in the southern region of Pingtung.
It moved away from Taiwan yesterday as Tropical Storm Haitang churned towards the south of the island and made landfall in Pingtung in the late afternoon, said the Central Weather Bureau.
It is the first time in 50 years that Taiwan has issued warnings for two such storms together.
“Even though Haitang is gradually weakening, it is expected to bring heavy rain in central and southern Taiwan ... and we urge people to be on guard,” said forecaster Lin Ting-i.
More than 12,000 people have been evacuated since Saturday, with nearly 9,000 soldiers deployed for disaster relief.
Most train services were suspended, and about 500 domestic and international flights were cancelled or delayed during the weekend.
Taiwanese international air carrier Eva Airways said it had cancelled 42 round-trip flights, which will affect nearly 10,000 passengers.
Cities and counties across the island cancelled work and classes over the weekend.
At least 111 people were injured, mostly by falling objects or in traffic accidents, while some slipped in the bad weather, according to the central emergency operation centre.
More than half-a-million households were without electricity as Nesat pounded the island with heavy rain and winds of up to 180kmh.
Pingtung suffered the worst flooding as of Saturday night, with some 200 residents stranded but later rescued. Images showed flooded homes and motorcyclists pushing their vehicles through water.
About 60,000 households were still without electricity yesterday, although rail services had mostly resumed.
Television footage showed soldiers sending food to some homes in Pingtung, where streets remained flooded.
Two naval vessels anchored in the northern port of Keelung were damaged when they were rammed by a cruise ship whose mooring cable snapped in strong winds.
Although Nesat was Taiwan’s first typhoon this year, the island was pounded by heavy rains last month.
Nesat made landfall at Fuqing city in China’s south-eastern province of Fujian early yesterday, according to state media, with the authorities issuing a red typhoon alert — the highest in China’s colour-coded warning system.
Emergency response efforts have started in neighbouring Zhejiang province, where more than 3,000 people have been evacuated, reported the China News Service.
However, the storm weakened as it moved towards the north-west at 15 to 20kmh. AGENCIES