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A powerful typhoon hit, 27 people were injured in Taiwan, several foreign tourists went missing

Posted on by Gerres
A powerful typhoon hit, 27 people were injured in Taiwan, several foreign tourists went missing

ANKARA

At least 27 people were injured and some foreign tourists missing after a powerful typhoon hit Taiwan on Thursday.

Strong winds and heavy rains brought by Typhoon Kong-rey injured many people across the island, and two tourists from the Czech Republic went missing after unsuccessful attempts by the Central Emergency Operations Center to contact them, Focus Taiwan reports.

The center said 27 guests at Wuling Farm in Taichung were asked to stay put because it could be dangerous to descend the mountain during a storm.

Local authorities also evacuated residents to safe locations in New Taipei, Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Hsinchu, Nantou, Pingtung, Yilan, Hualien and Taitung counties.

So far, 8,600 people have been evacuated to shelters.

Kong-rey also forced authorities to cancel 527 domestic and international flights.

Earlier, authorities announced the closure of workplaces and schools across the island due to the approaching storm.

Authorities also asked people to stay home and ordered banks and financial markets to remain closed due to heavy rain and storms.

However, essential services, including police, fire, utilities and hospital emergency services, remained open to the public.

On Tuesday, the Taiwan Coast Guard Administration said it had rescued 17 crew members from a Chinese-registered cargo ship.

In the Philippines, the weather agency also downgraded the storm alert for Batanes, the country’s northernmost province, to level four as it was expected to weaken over the next 12 hours.

Nathaniel Servando, head of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration, said the super typhoon maintained its strength as it moved northwest near Batanes, according to the Manila Times.

*Text: Islamuddin Sajid


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