PINGTUNG, Taiwan, Oct 5 (Reuters) – Typhoon Koinu slammed into southern Taiwan on Thursday, killing one person, injuring 304 and causing localized damage, as torrential rains and strong winds forced millions of people across a range of cities. to miss work and school. .
Koinu, which means “puppy” in Japanese, made landfall on Taiwan’s Hengchun Peninsula as a category four typhoon, indicating winds of up to 252 kph (156 mph), but weakened as it crossed into the Taiwan Strait and weakened. headed towards the Chinese province of Guangdong. , according Tropical storm risk.
The heaviest rains fell in mountainous and sparsely populated areas of Pingtung county in the south, and Taitung and Hualien counties on the east coast, but the typhoon also affected the southern main port city of Kaohsiung.
Most cities and counties declared a day off from work and school, although the island’s capital, Taipei, home to financial markets, was unaffected and operating normally.
TSMC chip maker (2330.TW) It said its factories were also operating normally.
(1/5)Concrete barriers placed to block traffic on a bridge are pictured after Typhoon Koinu passed over the southern tip of Taiwan, in Jinlun, Taiwan, October 5, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins Acquire license rights
The typhoon entered the Taiwan Strait late Thursday morning and heavy rain was forecast to last until Friday, mainly in the south and east of the island.
Taiwan’s fire department reported one death from a person hit by flying glass in the central city of Taichung and 304 injuries across the island, as well as some damage to buildings and fallen trees.
More damage was reported on Orchid Island off the coast of Taitung in the Pacific Ocean, home to about 5,000 people, with images on social media showing cars blown off roads, fishing boats sunk in a harbor and school windows. broken
Taiwan’s official Central News Agency said a weather monitoring station on Orchid Island recorded Taiwan’s strongest wind in 126 years when the typhoon struck on Wednesday night.
Taiwan’s two main domestic airlines, UNI Air and Mandarin Airlines, canceled most of their flights on Thursday, while ferries to outlying islands were also halted.
A total of 46 international flights were cancelled, the Transport Ministry said, but the high-speed train connecting northern and southern Taiwan was not affected.
Information from Fabián Hamacher and Carlos García; Written by Ben Blanchard. Editing by Gerry Doyle
Our standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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