Typhoon “Kong-Rey” Shuts Down Taiwan, Dozens of Casualties
The powerful typhoon Kong-Rey, which hit Taiwan on Thursday, led to the closure of schools and businesses, along with the mobilization of tens of thousands of soldiers as a precaution before the storm’s arrival, which is the strongest seen in years, according to AFP.
The typhoon has caused at least one fatality and injured 73 people. The victim, a 57-year-old woman, died when a tree uprooted by the winds fell on her car in the Nantou region, in the center of the island, as reported by the National Fire Agency.
The typhoon, with winds reaching speeds of 184 kilometers per hour and heavy rainfall, made landfall around 1:40 p.m. local time (5:40 GMT) in southeastern Taiwan, the least populated area of the island during the rainy season.
An official from a town in the heavily affected Hualien region (east) said uprooted trees had fallen on cars and blocked roads, hampering rescue efforts.
Before the typhoon made landfall, massive waves as high as ten meters were recorded, and at least 27 people were injured due to severe weather conditions, particularly from mudslides, according to the National Relief Agency, without giving further details.
Initially described as the most violent typhoon of the year, it now matches the intensity of typhoon Gaemi, which struck Taiwan in July and was the strongest storm the island had experienced in eight years.
With a diameter of 320 kilometers, Kong-Rey is the largest typhoon to make landfall in over 30 years.
Schools and offices were closed across Taiwan on Thursday as the island’s 23 million residents prepared to face the violent storm.
The Taiwanese tech giant TSMC stated it had “activated routine procedures in anticipation of a typhoon alert” at its chip manufacturing plants, adding that it does not expect a “major impact” on its operations.
The streets of Taipei were almost deserted, while heavy rain poured down, accompanied by strong winds.
A local official from the fire control service reported that winds and rains intensified after the typhoon’s center passed through the eastern city of Chenggong.
County fire chief Wang Ming Chung stated that flooding is “extremely severe” in the neighboring city of Hualien, with rescue and evacuation operations ongoing.
Meteorologists warned of “devastating” winds during typhoon Kong-Rey, and around 35,000 soldiers have been mobilized to take part in rescue operations.
More than 400 domestic and international flights have been canceled, dozens of ferry routes suspended, and over 250,000 homes left without power.
Authorities have begun evacuating more than 9,600 people from several areas and cities, including Yilan, Hualien, and Taitung.
