| |
| |
 |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
TAIPEI: A child was killed, eight people were missing and four others injured as Tropical Storm Typhoon Kalmaegi lashed Taiwan on Friday with strong wind and downpours, rescuers said.
A one-year-old girl was killed and a 27-year-old pregnant woman slightly injured when their house in the southern city of Kaohsiung was hit by a mudslide, the National Fire Agency said.
A teenage boy was still buried under the rubble and listed as missing.
Seven others went missing in southern and central Taiwan, including a couple whose boat capsized as they were being rescued from a flooded area, the agency said.
The storm was 90 kilometres northwest of Taipei at 11:30 am (0330 GMT), packing winds of up to 83 kilometres an hour, the weather bureau said.
Kalmaegi was downgraded from a typhoon to a tropical storm as it bore down the east coast Thursday night and was moving away from the island although torrential rains were expected on Friday, the bureau said.
Television footage showed residents in various parts of southern and central Taiwan battling floods while a road in central Nantou was blocked by mudslides.
Offices and schools in several central counties were shut while some 3,600 fishermen sought shelter at ports, authorities said.
The storm also disrupted land and air traffic. Many rail services were cancelled due to flooding and nearly 20 local and international flights were suspended or delayed.
- AFP/yb
|
