Coast guards walk along Sizihwan Beach in Kaohsiung city in southern Taiwan as Typhoon Krathon approaches the island on October 1, 2024 (AFP/WALID BERRAZEG)
Taiwan’s president warned Tuesday of “catastrophic damage” as super typhoon Krathon slowly approaches the island, already plagued by heavy rain and violent winds.
Krathon could “inevitably cause catastrophic damage” if it develops into a powerful typhoon, Lai Ching-te told a government briefing.
Some fifteen minor injuries linked to the beginnings of the typhoon were reported until Tuesday, authorities said without giving details.
“Krathon has a relatively rare trajectory, entering from the south and exiting from the east. So we need to be particularly vigilant,” he added.
Taiwan has elevated Krathon to the rank of “strong typhoon” due to its gusts reaching 245 km/h.
The typhoon was about 230 kilometers south/southwest of Kaoshiung (southwest) at 11:00 a.m. local time (03:00 GMT) according to the Central Meteorological Administration.
Since the start of Tuesday, more than 7,700 people have been evacuated as a precaution in seven cities and counties, including Kaoshiung, 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 Tuesday, while dozens of international and domestic flights have been canceled.
Nearly 40,000 soldiers are ready to carry out relief missions, the Defense Ministry said.
The coast guard said a Barbadian ship, the Blue Lagoon, had taken on water and its 19 crew members were waiting to be airlifted to land.
In Taitung, where the typhoon brought heavy rain and waves up to seven meters high, a man was sent to hospital after his truck was hit by a huge rock while driving on a mountainous road, local media reported.
Krathon struck the northern Philippines province of Batanes on Monday, knocking out power and communications services, according to the state weather service and officials.
The country’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Tuesday that nearly 1,800 people had been evacuated, about half of them in Batanes.
Related News :