Typhoon injures over 80 in Taiwan, traps dozens

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A strong typhoon swept across Taiwan on Sunday, injuring more than 80 people, forcing the island to shut down essential services and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of homes.

Forty people were trapped in the southern parts of the island, mainly due to floodwaters.

Typhoon Nesat, a medium-strength typhoon, made landfall on Saturday and is expected to lash the island over the course of two days, affecting the south most heavily, according to the island's weather bureau.

Wind speeds of the typhoon were recorded at around 119 kilometers per hour (70 mph), the bureau said.

More than 80 rescue workers were injured along with three other people who had been sent to hospital.

Many of the injured rescue personnel were hit by falling debris, with two suffering severe injuries.

People fall as Typhoon Nesat hits Taipei, Taiwan on July 29, 2017. / Reuters Picture

In Taipei, all work and scheduled classes were canceled on Saturday evening and all of Sunday. The city shut down trash collection services, bike rental services, and altered its subway schedules.

Taiwan's international air carrier Eva Airways Corp said it had canceled 42 round-trip flights, which will affect nearly 10,000 passengers.

Cities and counties across the island canceled work and classes on Sunday as well.

Power was knocked out to about half a million homes at one point. As of Sunday morning, about 360,000 households had their electricity restored.

In Fujian Province, more than 3,100 people were evacuated to the shore from fish farms to brace for the typhoon's impact, Xinhua reported.

(Source: Reuters)