Taiwan in mourning after the passage of powerful typhoon Kong-rey. At least two deaths and more than 500 injured have been reported. The authorities mobilized for cleaning and search operations for the missing. A balance sheet which risks further increasing…
Taiwan is in shock after the devastating passage of Typhoon Kong-rey, one of the most violent to hit the island in recent decades. With winds blowing up to 184 km/h and torrential rains, the storm left at least two dead and more than 500 injured according to a provisional report from the authorities.
Significant material damage
Kong-rey did not spare Taiwan during his crossing of the island on Thursday. Many trees were uprooted by the gusts, causing power outages. Floods and landslides were also reported across the country.
According to sources close to emergency services, a 48-year-old motorcyclist lost his life in Taipei after being crushed by an electric pole. In the central county of Nantou, a 56-year-old woman was killed when a tree fell on a vehicle. More than 500 other people were injured to varying degrees.
Four people missing
The authorities are also without news ofa group of four people who went hunting in the mountains in the center of the island on Wednesday, just before the typhoon arrived. Search operations were launched to try to find them.
Faced with the threat, more than 11,500 people had been preventively evacuated throughout Taiwan. The authorities particularly feared deadly landslides, a recurring phenomenon during typhoons.
A typhoon of rare intensity
If typhoons are common in Taiwan from July to October, meteorologists have highlighted the exceptional nature of Kong-rey, particularly due to its power and late timing. “It is unusual for such an intense typhoon to hit the island this late in the year“, commented expert Chang Chun-yao.
Climate change is increasing the intensity of typhoons, with heavy downpours, flash floods and very strong wind gusts.
According to scientists
Kong-rey is the third major typhoon to hit Taiwan since July. A report which illustrates the resurgence of these extreme phenomena, a major trend pointed out by the scientific community.
Cleaning operations have started
Friday morning, the storm had moved away towards China while weakening. In Taiwan, it was time for the first assessments and the start of cleaning and restoration operations.
In the Taitung region, in the southeast, a firefighter told AFP that there was no “serious damage” to report. “It was mainly trees that fell on electrical poles that caused power outages.“.
Gradually, life returned to normal in the country with the reopening of businesses and the resumption of work and classes. But for many affected residents, getting back to normal will take time, time to heal the wounds and repair the damage caused by Kong-rey, a typhoon that will be remembered.
