Taiwan was hit by a powerful typhoon, 27 were injured, and some foreign tourists went missing

ANKARA

At least 27 people were injured and some foreign tourists are missing after a powerful typhoon hit Taiwan on Thursday.

Strong winds and torrential rain caused by Typhoon Kong Ray left many people injured on the island, and two tourists from the Czech Republic went missing after a failed attempt to contact them by the Central Emergency Operations Center, Focus Taiwan reported.

The center said 27 visitors to Wuling Farm in Taichung were asked to stay put because it could be dangerous to descend the mountain during the storm.

Local authorities also evacuated residents to safe places in New Taipei City, Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Hsinchu, Nantou, Pingdong, Yilan, Hualien and Taidong counties.

Currently, 8,600 people have been evacuated to shelters.

Kongrei also forced the authorities to cancel 527 domestic and international flights.

Earlier, authorities announced the closure of workplaces and schools across the island as the storm approached.

Authorities also asked people to stay indoors and ordered banks and financial markets to remain closed due to heavy rain and storms.

However, essential services including police, fire, utilities and hospital emergency services remained open to the public.

On Tuesday, Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration said they had rescued 17 crew members from a Chinese-registered cargo ship.

Also in the Philippines, the weather agency downgraded the storm warning in Batanes, the country’s northernmost province, to No. 4 as it is expected to weaken over the next 12 hours.

Nathaniel Servando, head of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomy Service, said the super typhoon maintained its strength as it moved northwest near Batanes, the Manila Times reported.

*Author: Islamuddin Sajid

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