Taiwan: Typhoon Krathon Causes at Least 1 Dead and 70 Injuries
Rescue Teams in Taiwan, Oct 2024 Photo: @radio_sucre700
October 2, 2024 Hour: 8:31 pm
In the morning hours of this Wednesday, the typhoon moved northeast at a speed between 7-10 km/h and with a maximum wind speed of 173 km/h, with gusts up to 209 km/h.
The Taiwan Emergency Operations Center (CEOC) reported on Wednesday that the arrival of typhoon Krathon in the southeast of the country has so far caused at least one death and 70 injuries.
Related:
Hurricane Helene Death Toll Tops 100 in the United States
Through a note, the CEOC expressed that the strong winds and rains brought by typhoon Krathon caused one death, leaving another 70 wounded and two missing by 15.00 local time (GMT+8) on Wednesday.
According to the Central Command for Disaster Response, the only one who has died so far is a 70-year-old man who was pruning a tree and fell from a height of three meters.
The Ministry of the Interior has also announced that offices and schools will remain closed until it is safe to re-establish services. Delivery services in several cities were suspended.
Also, the bicycle and moped rental companies have halted their operations in Taipei, and all flights were suspended.
The Central Meteorological Agency (CWA) of Taiwan announced that during the early hours of this Wednesday Krathon has weakened and is now a “moderate typhoon”.
The agency said that Krathon will weaken as it progresses and stated that “it remains a destructive structure with a capacity to pose a threat to regions”.
“As the typhoon advances, rainfall will continue in Hualien and Taitung, while rains in the south will also intensify. When the typhoon rain bands reach Taiwan, there is a possibility of short-term heavy rainfall, so the Office of Meteorology has issued an alert for torrential rains,” he added.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s president Lai Ching-te warned that the weather event could cause «catastrophic damage» and urged the population to be alert before its arrival.
Autor: OSG
Fuente: EFE-AFP