Three people died and 376 were injured as Typhoon Dujuan pummeled the nation with torrential rainfall and strong winds, the Central Emergency Operation Center said yesterday.
Among the three people killed was a 70-year-old man in New Taipei City’s Tucheng District (土城), who fell to the ground and died after being blown over by a gust of wind.
A 54-year-old worker in Taichung was flung into the air by strong winds as he stood on a corrugated steel sheet on a fence near a construction site.
Photo: Chiang Chih-hsiung, Taipei Times
He died after falling from a height of about 3m.
The third person killed was a 41-year-old woman surnamed Yu (余), who died after sustaining serious injuries in a car accident during the storm.
By 8am yesterday, about 12,000 people had been evacuated, the center said.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
The typhoon disrupted water and power supplies in northern Taiwan.
Data from Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) showed that electricity was not available for more than 2.27 million households at one point.
Taipower said that by 6:30pm yesterday, 119,048 households had yet to regain power supplies.
Photo: CNA
Taiwan Water Corp suspended the water supply to almost 150,000 households and reduced water pressure to 145,200 households over high river turbidity.
The water company said normal water supply would resume completely by 6am today.
The nation’s main transportation systems had largely resumed normal operations yesterday.
Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp began train operations at 11:30am yesterday from Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung high-speed rail stations to facilitate the transportation of passengers, many of whom are to return to work today,
The Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) reported severe damage to the North Link Railway and resumed services nationwide by 6pm yesterday, although trains could only operate on one set of tracks in some sections.
Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport estimated that about 126,000 passengers accessed the airport yesterday as airlines resumed flights, with passengers beginning to line up at check-in counters as early as 4:30am.
Though the Central Weather Bureau had not lifted sea and land alerts by 5:30pm yesterday, the wind and rain brought by Dujuan had largely eased by early yesterday morning.
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications apologized to the public for crowds in railway stations on Monday, which was the last day of the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday.
Deputy Minister Tseng Dar-jen (曾大仁) said the ministry would henceforth activate emergency transport plans as soon as a land alert for a typhoon is announced during a major national holiday.
When the occurrence of a typhoon coincides with any of the nation’s major holidays, alternative transportation methods would be arranged for the high-speed rail system, TRA systems, then buses, in that order, Tseng said.
People would be given maximum flexibility if they ask for a refund or to exchange for train tickets departing on other days given the extenuating circumstances, Tseng added.
The high-speed rail system transported 180,000 passengers between 6am and 3pm on Monday, Tseng said.
In the past, the system could transport up to 240,000 passengers per day.
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
LANDSLIDES POSSIBLE: The agency advised the public to avoid visiting mountainous regions due to more expected aftershocks and rainfall from a series of weather fronts A series of earthquakes over the past few days were likely aftershocks of the April 3 earthquake in Hualien County, with further aftershocks to be expected for up to a year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Based on the nation’s experience after the quake on Sept. 21, 1999, more aftershocks are possible over the next six months to a year, the agency said. A total of 103 earthquakes of magnitude 4 on the local magnitude scale or higher hit Hualien County from 5:08pm on Monday to 10:27am yesterday, with 27 of them exceeding magnitude 5. They included two, of magnitude
Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique