Taiwan: Typhoon Champi leaves 1 dead, over 500 injured

Typhoon Champi leaves 1 dead, over 500 injured in Taiwan, heads towards China

The full report

Typhoon Champi has left at least one person dead and over 500 injured in Taiwan, according to reports from the island's fire department and local Taiwanese newspaper United Daily News. The storm, which was initially classified as a super typhoon and one of the strongest storms in the Pacific this year, has caused major disruptions in Taiwan, with thousands of people left without power supply. The power supply was restored to 80% of households by Saturday morning, but several parts of the island received heavy rain and strong winds that prompted authorities to cut off power. The Transport Ministry reported that 259 flights were cancelled, an improvement from Friday when the number was almost 1,000. Several trees were downed amid strong gusts in the capital Taipei, and authorities in several districts of northern and central Taiwan, including Taipei, declared a second day of office and school closures on Saturday. The typhoon continued to weaken as it moved north towards the Chinese coast, but it was not expected to make landfall there. Chinese authorities have sent a team to the eastern province of Zhejiang as Champi approached, warning of strong winds and heavy rain through Sunday. They have readied 400 rescue workers and 600 pieces of equipment, while more than 41,000 firefighters were on emergency duty. According to Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (CWA), Champi is still packing gusts of around 78 km/h (126 mph) near its center.

Taiwan is generally well prepared for typhoons, which keeps casualties low. Although more common in summer, the storms can strike also in autumn. The country's fire department and emergency services have been working to respond to the situation, with the Transport Ministry reporting that 259 flights were cancelled due to the storm. The storm's impact has been significant, with thousands of people left without power supply and several trees downed amid strong gusts in the capital Taipei. However, the power supply was restored to 80% of households by Saturday morning, and authorities in several districts of northern and central Taiwan, including Taipei, declared a second day of office and school closures on Saturday.

The storm, which was initially classified as a super typhoon and one of the strongest storms in the Pacific this year, has caused major disruptions in Taiwan. The storm's forecast track shows it turning north toward the Chinese coast before eventually moving into southern Japan. Taiwan's fire department said one man had been killed, swept by waves from the island of Liuqiu. Another 527 people were injured during heavy wind and torrential rain. Taipower said more than 167,000 homes had lost electricity, but most had now been reconnected.

Typhoon Champi started out as a super typhoon and one of the strongest storms in the Pacific this year. While it is weakening, Champi is still packing gusts of around 78 km/h (126 mph) near its center, according to Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (CWA). The storm was about 150km (93 miles) east of Taiwan, the CWA said, having glanced off the island's northeast coast in the early hours of Saturday. Chinese authorities have sent a team to the eastern province of Zhejiang as Champi approached, warning of strong winds and heavy rain through Sunday. They have readied 400 rescue workers and 600 pieces of equipment, while more than 41,000 firefighters were on emergency duty.