Two missing people were found dead in New Taipei, northern Taiwan, the National Fire Agency said on Saturday, October 5, after Typhoon Krathon passed over the island on Thursday. Additionally, 700 people were injured.
Across the island, 20,000 homes remained without power on Saturday, mainly in the southwestern coastal city of Kaohsiung, where the typhoon made landfall.
In New Taipei City, heavy rain caused landslides and flooded streets, temporarily stranding dozens of students in their schools, authorities said.
Around 1,500 soldiers deployed
In Kaohsiung and the neighboring city of Pingtung, around 1,500 soldiers were deployed to help with relief operations, according to the Defense Ministry, which said 250 soldiers had been mobilized in New Taipei and Keelung to help clear roads.
The island of Taiwan is accustomed to tropical storms, which are frequent from July to October. But according to experts, they are forming closer to the coast, gaining intensity more quickly and lasting longer after making landfall due to climate change.
Typhoon Gaemi, which hit Taiwan in July, was the most powerful in eight years, leaving at least ten dead, hundreds injured and causing widespread flooding in Kaohsiung.
