Typhoon Gaemi left a trail of chaos in its wake after making landfall in Putian, Fujian Province, on Thursday evening – having already slammed into Taiwan, where it left several people dead and hundreds more injured, multiple media outlets have reported.
The most powerful storm to hit Taiwan in almost a decade, Gaemi’s 227 kilometre-per-hour winds and torrential rain cancelled more than 500 flights, submerged streets and homes, and temporarily cut power to around half a million households. Offices, schools and the financial markets were closed across the island both Wednesday and Thursday.
At least three Taiwanese people are understood to have died due to the typhoon. One was a 78-year-old man whose home was hit by a mudslide, another was pinned under an excavator after it overturned on a slippery road, AP reported. At least 22 people also died in the Philippines, where Gaemi passed by earlier in the week.
[See more: Brace yourself for more typhoons than usual this year]
The typhoon also sank a Tanzanian cargo ship off the coast of southern Taiwan. A rescue operation for nine crew members, all Myanmar nationals, was launched and three of the crew have been confirmed safe.
Almost 250,000 people in Fujian province were evacuated ahead of Gaemi’s arrival, Reuters reported.
Mainland cities hit by heavy rains just a few weeks ago have been warned to expect intense rainfall, swollen rivers, water logging and flash floods in the coming days, even as Typhoon Gaemi weakens into a tropical depression. Beijing authorities have reportedly warned that the Chinese capital could also experience heavy rainfall.
