A typhoon leaves a trail of destruction in Taiwan
Tropical Storm "Gaemi" Batters Taiwan, Causing Severe Damage. At Least Two People Dead, Hundreds Injured. The Storm Heads Towards China. Heavy Rain and Floods Have Already Been Reported There.
At least two people have been killed by Typhoon "Gaemi" in Taiwan. According to Taiwanese authorities, 284 people were injured. A cargo ship also sank off the coast of the island republic due to the storm. The authorities were waiting for better weather conditions to continue the search for the nine crew members from Myanmar, as reported by the Taiwanese Emergency Operations Center (CEOC).
Television footage showed heavy rainfall and widespread flooding. Vehicles were damaged by uprooted trees. At one point, more than 450,000 households were reportedly without power.
The center of the tropical storm reached the eastern coastal city of Yilan, Taiwan, early Thursday morning (local time), and continued moving westward. Schools and offices were closed in Taiwan, just as they had been the previous day when the first effects of "Gaemi" were felt. The stock exchange in Taiwan did not trade for the second consecutive day.
In the southern city of Kaohsiung, a 64-year-old roller skater was killed by uprooted trees. In the eastern city of Hualien, a 45-year-old woman was killed when her car was hit by a collapsing wall. Her child was reportedly in critical condition. Another death was initially reported in the city of New Taipei, but the Emergency Operations Center later stated that the accident involving a bulldozer was not related to the typhoon.
"Gaemi" is heading towards China, where authorities have been warning of the approaching storm since days. The center of the storm was expected to reach the coastal province of Fujian on Thursday afternoon. China has experienced heavy rain and flooding throughout the summer, resulting in numerous casualties. It has been raining heavily in Beijing since Wednesday.
International aid organizations have expressed concern over the potential death toll in China, given its history of high casualties during natural disasters. Taiwan's president, Tsai Ing-wen, has urged international communities to support and aid Taiwan in its recovery from Typhoon "Gaemi". China, while not directly providing aid to Taiwan due to political tensions, has been monitoring the situation closely and preparing its own coastal cities for potential floods caused by the typhoon. Despite the ongoing tensions, Chinese authorities have agreed to cooperate in disaster prevention and response efforts in the event that the typhoon strikes mainland China.
