Severe rain and wind brought by Typhoon Nepartak killed at least three people and injured more than 140 in Taiwan, authorities said yesterday.
The storm made landfall in the southeastern county of Taitung at 5.50am yesterday (2150 GMT on Thursday).
One unidentified man died after being swept off a beach in the eastern county of Hualien late Thursday.
A soldier on an island in the Taiwan Strait fell into the sea while fishing.
A 71-year-old woman, in Taitung, died when she was struck by a falling cabinet.
At least 142 people in the eastern and southern regions were hit by falling trees or injured by glass, an official at the Central Emergency Operation Centre said.
More than 510,000 families were left without electricity and 24,200 families were left without tap water.
“In many places, the water supply systems cannot function due to the lack of power supply,” said Li Wei-sen, an official of the centre.
Authorities issued landslide warnings for more than 700 mountainous areas due to rising river levels.
More than 15,000 residents were evacuated.
Winds gusting to more than 200kph were detected by weather stations, the Central Weather Bureau said.
Local TV images showed winds flipping over cars and breaking windows in Taitung.
Yesterday, Taiwan Railways suspended some services, including the high-speed trains.
More than 300 international flights were also cancelled, authorities said.
Taiwan’s agriculture sector suffered an estimated T$664mn ($20.5mn) in losses, according to the Council of Agriculture late yesterday.
A truck lies upside down on a traffic divider after being blown over by strong winds in the Taiwanese city of Taitung, after Super Typhoon Nepartak passed over the island.
