Typhoon 'Koinu' Hits Taiwan... Over 300 Casualties Reported

Taiwan Experiences Record Strongest Wind Gust at 95.2M per Second

[Image source=Yonhap News]

At least one person has died and around 300 have been injured due to the damage caused by Typhoon 'Koinu' that struck Taiwan.

According to local foreign media including Taiwan Central News Agency, on the 5th, an 84-year-old man in the Taichung area of Taiwan died after being hit by glass shards from a window broken by the typhoon. As of 3 p.m., over 2,800 damage reports were received across Taiwan, and 304 people were injured. A significant number of these injuries were caused by fallen trees and other debris due to strong winds.

Approximately 330,000 households experienced temporary power outages, and about 70,000 households are still without electricity. Water supply was cut off in over 4,500 households.

On Orchid Island in southeastern Taiwan, record-breaking strong winds caused power outages for 2,400 households. An elementary school was severely damaged. According to foreign media including AFP, Koinu's maximum wind speed was recorded at a historic high of 95.2 meters per second.

The day before, Taiwanese authorities issued a school closure order in preparation for Koinu and evacuated about 3,000 residents from mountainous areas. More than 200 passenger flights were also suspended.

Earlier, in early last month, Typhoon 'Haikui' also struck Taiwan, injuring over 100 people and causing power outages for 250,000 households. It was the first time in four years that a typhoon directly caused damage to Taiwan.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.