At least 27 people were injured, and some foreign tourists are unaccounted for after Typhoon Kong-rey struck Taiwan on Thursday, bringing strong winds and heavy rain.
According to Focus Taiwan, the Central Emergency Operation Center reported that attempts to contact two missing Czech tourists were unsuccessful. Meanwhile, 27 visitors at Wuling Farm in Taichung have been advised to stay put due to the dangers of descending the mountain amid the storm.
Local authorities have evacuated residents from several areas, including New Taipei, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and multiple counties such as Hsinchu, Nantou, and Pingtung. So far, around 8,600 people have been moved to emergency shelters.
Typhoon Kong-rey has also led to the cancellation of 527 domestic and international flights.
Earlier, authorities had announced the closure of schools and workplaces, urging people to remain indoors. While banks and financial markets were closed, essential services like police, fire, utilities, and hospital emergency services remained operational.
On Tuesday, Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration rescued 17 crew members from a Chinese cargo ship. In the Philippines, the storm alert for Batanes was lowered as the typhoon was expected to weaken within 12 hours, according to Nathaniel Servando, head of the Philippine weather bureau, as reported by the Manila Times.
