Thousands were told to evacuate parts of Taiwan as a powerful typhoon moves closer to the Asian nation.
On Wednesday, Taiwan's National Fire Agency announced that two people were killed and at least 70 others were injured due to extreme weather conditions related to Typhoon Krathon. Thousands of residents were also ordered to evacuate areas with low-lying terrain or mountains due to possible impacts from the typhoon.
In the eastern city of Hualien, an elderly man died after falling from a ladder while pruning tree branches. Another fatality occurred in Taitung County, where an elderly man crashed his vehicle into fallen rocks. Meanwhile, two other individuals remain missing.
With maximum sustained winds of 108 mph and gusts reaching 130 mph, the typhoon is forecast to make landfall on Taiwan's densely populated west coast early Thursday, according to the Central Weather Administration. The most powerful winds are expected to hit the island's southwestern region.
Typhoons seldom strike Taiwan's west coast and usually hit he island's mountainous eastern region instead.
In the past four days, coastal Taitung County has been drenched with at least 4.2 feet of rain, while Kaohsiung, a major port city, has received 17 inches as the typhoon approaches. Authorities have closed schools and government offices across Taiwan and canceled all domestic flights in response to the approaching typhoon.
In Hualien County, over 3,000 people were evacuated from landslide-prone townships. Additionally, nearly 200 people in the southwestern city of Tainan and more than 800 residents in southern Pingtung County were relocated as precautionary measures.
Kaohsiung, a city with a population of 2.7 million, braced for a direct hit from the typhoon and evacuated over 2,500 residents from areas at risk of mudslides and landslides. Military personnel assisted in relocating evacuees, transporting them to temporary shelters by truck. Most stores and restaurants in Kaohsiung remained shuttered for a second day, as shoppers cleared supermarket shelves of essentials like bread, meat and instant noodles in preparation for the typhoon.
Kaohsiung's international airport was also empty, with all flights canceled due to the storm. The Associated Press reported that Chan Ka Who, a tourist from Malaysia, said he was stranded in the city after his attempts to return home were thwarted by the flight cancellations.
By Wednesday evening, the typhoon was located approximately 68 miles southwest of Kaohsiung, moving northeast at around 5 mph. According to the weather administration, the storm has been weakening and is expected to continue losing strength after making landfall.
Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai urged residents to avoid flood- and landslide-prone areas near rivers, the coastline, and the mountains. He compared the intensity of Typhoon Krathon to Typhoon Thelma, which devastated Kaohsiung in 1977 and left 37 people dead.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
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