TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Typhoon Gaemi caused a fatal landslide on Thursday (July 25) as heavy rain and wind pounded Taiwan.
Taiwan’s Central Emergency Operation Center said on Thursday afternoon that a landslide killed a 78 year old man in his home in Kaohsiung’s Qishan District, bringing the death toll from Typhoon Gaemi to three, per CNA. The center said it had also received 380 reports of injuries nationwide.
In addition to the fatal landslide, three people were rescued from beneath rubble caused by other landslides in Kaohsiung’s Dashu District, the center said.
The impacts of Typhoon Gaemi were strongest in Taiwan’s central and southern areas on Thursday. At about 3.30 p.m. the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said rainfall in Kaohsiung had reached 1,038.5 millimeters, approaching the area’s record rainfall of 1,402 millimeters set during Typhoon Morakot in 2009.
The CWA said the storm is moving away from Taiwan and its impact will weaken on Friday. It warned that localized heavy rainfall may continue over the coming days.
Taiwan Power Company said that more than 700,000 homes lost power across Taiwan, but that it had restored power to 620,000 of them by 3 p.m. The remaining houses waiting for power to be restored are in New Taipei, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Chiayi, Pingtung, and Yunlin.
The Central Emergency Operation Center said the water supply had been cut to over 88,000 homes on Thursday. It said that as of 3 p.m., about 24,000 homes were still without water.
Meanwhile, nine Myanmar nationals were reported missing after a freight ship sank in rough seas off Kaohsiung's coast at around 6.45 a.m. Five other ships ran aground off Taiwan's southern coast due to the storm.