2 killed as Typhoon Krathon makes landfall in Taiwan

Typhoon Krathon made landfall on Thursday in Taiwan's major port city of Kaohsiung, bringing torrential rains and fierce winds to the island's south. Two deaths were reported from the affected region, while two people remain missing. Schools and businesses remain closed and hundreds of flights have been canceled.

Krathon made landfall around 12:40 pm. It packed maximum sustained winds of 126 kilometers per hour with gusts of 162 kph, affecting the areas of Taichung, Nantou, Hualien, Taitung and Penghu.

The meteorological department has issued strong wind warnings for parts of Kaohsiung and Pingtung. Across Taiwan, heavy to torrential rain is forecast, with severe downpours expected in some areas.

The typhoon is expected to move slowly north and weaken into a tropical depression by Friday before it reaches Taipei. It was expected to then head across the Taiwan Strait toward the Chinese mainland.

As of Thursday morning, the typhoon had claimed two lives and injured 123 people.

The Taiwan weather authorities warned that due to the slow progress of the typhoon, its impact could persist until the weekend.

On Wednesday, Typhoon Krathon's influence reached southeastern Zhejiang province and northeastern Fujian province on the Chinese mainland, leading to moderate to heavy rainfall in some areas. Fujian announced the suspension of most passenger ferry services on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, a fire at a hospital in Pingtung county killed at least nine people early Thursday. The deaths were attributed to smoke and the cause was under investigation. It was not immediately clear whether the blaze was related to the typhoon.

Zhu Fenglian, a spokeswoman of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, on Thursday expressed deep sorrow over the tragic incident, offering condolences to the deceased Taiwan compatriots and sincere sympathies to the families of the victims and the injured.

zhangyi1@chinadaily.com.cn