Taipei: At least 78 people were injured or gone missing as Typhoon Haikui made its way across Taiwan, Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) reported on Monday, citing emergency services.
The typhoon made landfall at 3 a.m. local time (8 a.m. GMT), the Central Emergency Operation Center (CEOC) said. On Monday, the typhoon’s impact on the island has been weakening as it moves northwest toward mainland China, the report said.
A total of 1,429 typhoon-related incidents were reported by emergency services across the island, most of them in Taitung County and Kaohsiung City. Most of the incidents were related to car accidents caused by fallen trees, the news agency said.
More than 118 Taiwanese counties were flooded as a result of the typhoon, some of which have yet to recede. About 217,500 households lost power during the day and at least 13,000 were cut off from the water supply system, the CEOC said.
More than 7,000 citizens were evacuated from high-risk areas, while 246 flights in and out of Taiwan were delayed or canceled, the report said. The military had mobilized soldiers and equipment, such as rubber boats, around parts of Taiwan where Haikui was expected to cause greater damage, the news agency added.
Typhoon Haikui is the first tropical cyclone to hit Taiwan directly since August 2019, Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said.
