In Taiwan (China), thousands of evacuations as powerful typhoon Krathon approaches

>> Myanmar: the number of people killed by Typhoon Yagi increases sharply

>> Typhoon Yagi: OCHA provides grant to Vietnam

Typhoon Krathon, with sustained winds of 198 km/h – the equivalent of a category 3 hurricane – and gusts of up to 245 km/h, is expected to make landfall on Wednesday October 2 near Kaohsiung (southwest).

In the south of this major port city, residents filled sandbags and erected barriers around their homes to protect against flooding, and they taped up windows.

Krathon, classified as a “strong typhoon” by Taiwan (China), was located about 230 kilometers south/southwest of Kaohsiung at 11:00 a.m. local time (03:00 GMT) according to the Central Meteorological Administration.

Since the start of the day Tuesday 1^is October, more than 7,700 people were evacuated as a precaution in seven cities and counties, including Kaohsiung, Hualien (east) and Taitung (southeast), according to the Ministry of the Interior.

Offices and schools in six cities and counties in southern and eastern Taiwan are closed on Tuesday 1^is October, while dozens of international and domestic flights were canceled.

Fifteen lightly injured

Coast guards patrolling Sizihwan Bay, a tourist spot west of Kaohsiung, asked people to stay away as powerful waves crashed onto the coast.

Ou Rui-yao, an 82-year-old retiree who came to watch birds in the area, said he had made arrangements at home, including installing flood barriers.

“We must be very careful because this typhoon must be very powerful“, he confided.

Some fifteen minor injuries linked to the beginnings of the typhoon have been reported, authorities said without giving details.

Nearly 40,000 soldiers are ready to carry out relief missions, according to the Ministry of Defense.

Krathon struck the northern Philippines province of Batanes on Monday, knocking out power and communications services, according to the state weather department and officials.

The country’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said on Tuesday 1^is October that nearly 1,800 people had been evacuated, about half of them in Batanes.

AFP/VNA/CVN