111 injured as 2 storms hit Taiwan

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July 31, 2017

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111 injured as 2 storms hit Taiwan

Source: Agencies | 00:01 UTC+8 July 31, 2017 |

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TAIWAN was hit by its second major storm in two days yesterday after Typhoon Nesat battered the island, leaving at least 111 people injured while causing flooding and widespread power outages.

Much of the island had come to a standstill on Saturday after Nesat made landfall in the eastern county of Yilan, whipping up massive waves of over 15 meters and dumping up to 58 centimeters of rain in the southern region of Pingtung.

It moved away from the island yesterday as Tropical Storm Haitang churned toward the island and made landfall in Pingtung in late afternoon, the weather bureau said.

It is the first time in 50 years Taiwan has issued warnings for two such storms together.

“Even though Haitang is gradually weakening, it is expected to bring heavy rain in central and southern Taiwan from tonight to tomorrow and we urge people to be on guard,” said forecaster Lin Ting-i.

More than 12,000 people have been evacuated since Saturday, with nearly 9,000 soldiers deployed for disaster relief.

Most train services were suspended, and around 500 domestic and international flights canceled or delayed during the weekend.

At least 111 people were injured, mostly by flying objects or in car accidents while some had slipped and fallen, according to the emergency operation center.

More than half a million households were without electricity as Nesat pounded the island with downpours and winds of up to 180 kilometers an hour.

Pingtung suffered the worst flooding, with some 200 residents stranded but later rescued.

Around 60,000 households were still without electricity yesterday though rail services had mostly resumed.

TV footage showed soldiers delivering food to some homes in Pingtung, where streets remained flooded.

Two naval vessels anchored in the northern port of Keelung were damaged when they were rammed by a cruise ship whose mooring cable snapped.

Nesat made landfall at Fuqing in southeastern Fujian Province on the Chinese mainland early yesterday as a tropical storm, with authorities issuing a red alert.

Close to 70,000 people have been evacuated and dozens of trains and flights suspended in Fuzhou, the provincial capital, Fujian’s water resources department said.

Emergency response efforts have begun in neighboring Zhejiang Province, where more than 3,000 people have been evacuated.

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111 injured as 2 storms hit Taiwan

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