Casualties Feared as Typhoon Soudelor Batters Taiwan

Taipei (PNA/Xinhua) — Three people were reported dead, one missing and another 28 injured as of 6:30 a.m. after Typhoon Soudelor made landfall in eastern Taiwan’s Hualien County early Saturday, Taiwan disaster operation center said.

The center of Soudelor made landfall in Sioulin Township at 4:40 a.m., bringing with it strong gusts and torrential rain that cut the power supply for over 80,000 households, stranded passengers at airports and rail stations, and filled cities with fallen trees and signboards across the island.

Local meteorological agency said Soudelor was centered at 60 km west of Hualien as of 6 a.m. and was moving northwestward at a speed of 19 kph. Giant waves of 8 to 11 meters high were also seen along the island’s eastern coast.

It is packing maximum sustained winds of 173 kph, with gusts reaching 209 kph, it said.

Forecasters said Soudelor could start weakening and move out into the Taiwan Strait later in the morning following its current path, but still warned against wind gusts and extreme rainfall during the process. (PNA/Xinhua) JBP/PJN