Typhoon Nesat lashes Taiwan
July 30, 2017
Torrential rains and powerful winds swept through Taiwan again on Sunday, bringing daily life to a halt a day after the first typhoon of the year flooded coastal towns and injured scores of people.
Typhoon Nesat made landfall in northern Taiwan on Saturday evening, bringing sustained winds of around 140 kilometers per hour (70 miles per hour) and gusts near 170 kilometers an hour.
The winds knocked out power to thousands of homes and sent debris flying through the air.
Coastal towns in the southern region of Pingtung were hit by waves and heavy rain that flooded streets.
At least 111 people were reported injured. Most of the injuries were a result of car accidents or people being hit by debris. Rescue workers said two people were severely wounded.
By Sunday Typhoon Nesat had moved onto China's Fujian province, but the island was slammed by a second weather system as Tropical Storm Haitang plowed through its south.
The storm is expected to lash the island over the next two days, according to Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau.
China's official Xinhua news agency said Typhoon Nesat had weakened as it moved toward the northwest at about 15 to 20 kilometers per hour.
At least forty people were reported to be trapped in southern Taiwan due to floodwaters and landslides.
Rescue work is underway in typhoon-hit areas.
Chinese authorities have evacuated more than 27,000 people from Fujian.
Read: Deadly typhoon Megi slams into southeast China after raking Taiwan
cw/tj (Reuters, dpa, AFP)