Taipei: At least three people were killed in Taiwan as Typhoon Gaemi swept through the northern part of the country on Thursday, triggering widespread flooding and sinking a freighter before going west across the Taiwan Strait towards China, where it is expected to dump more rain. This came a day after the typhoon claimed the lives of 22 people in the Philippines from floodings and landslides, while over 200 were injured.
In Taiwan, the storm cut power to around half a million households, though most are now back online, utility Taipower said. Offices and schools in the country were closed for the second consecutive day on Thursday and people were urged to stay home and away from the coastline.
Some parts of southern Taiwan have recorded accumulated rainfall of 2,200 mm (87 inches) since Tuesday. Trains will be stopped until 3 pm (12:30 pm IST), with all domestic flights and 195 international flights cancelled for the day. Taiwan's fire department said a Tanzania-flagged freighter with nine Myanmar nationals on board had sunk off the coast of the southern port city of Kaohsiung and there had been no response from the crew.
Gaemi is the strongest typhoon to hit the island in eight years and was packing gusts of up to 227 kph (141 mph) before weakening, according to the Central Weather Administration. As of 4:15 am GMT (9:45 am Indian time), Gaemi was in the Taiwan Strait and heading toward Fuzhou in China's Fujian province. The island is regularly hit by typhoons and has boosted its warning systems, but its typography, high population density and high-tech economy make it difficult to avoid losses when such storms hit.
Typhoon Gaemi wreaks havoc in Manila
At least 22 people were killed due to landslides and floods in the Philippines, while three people were reported missing. Floods in the capital Manila and nearby cities forced authorities to close schools and offices and cancel flights on Wednesday and declare a state of calamity.
The storm did not make landfall in the Philippines but has intensified seasonal monsoon rains, causing landslides and flooding over the past few days. Over 600,000 are displaced due to the storm. The Philippine coastguard said 260 passengers and 16 vessels were stranded in ports while airlines cancelled 114 flights out of Manila on Wednesday, the airport authority said.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr told the disaster relief agencies to provide assistance and prepare supplies for isolated communities during a briefing on Wednesday, and the mayors of 16 cities in the Greater Manila region have asked for emergency funding, officials said.
In the riverside city of Marikina, emergency workers waded through waist-deep waters and used rubber dinghies to rescue residents from their inundated homes. The Philippine coast guard reported that an oil tanker, MT Terra Nova, loaded with about 1.4 million litres of industrial fuel oil sank off Limay town in Bataan province early Thursday and rescuers saved 15 of 16 crew members. The Philippines sees an average of 20 tropical storms annually, causing floods and deadly landslides.
(with inputs from agencies)
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