Typhoon Morakot kills 6 in Taiwan
August 9th, 2009 - 2:44 pm ICT by IBNSTaiwan, Aug 9 (IBNS) At last six people dies and 29 others are missing after Typhoon Morakot headed towards China from Philippines, forcing the evacuation of nearly 1 million people Sunday, a day after lashing Taiwan with torrential rains that caused the worst flooding on the island in 50 years.
“Twenty-nine people were missing in southern Taiwan; of them four are feared dead,” the Disaster Relief Center told local media.
The report issued Sunday said flash flooding had washed away a makeshift home in southern Kaohsiung, leaving 16 people missing. Three others were swept away in southeastern Taitung County, including two policemen helping to evacuate villagers.
Ten others were missing, including three fishermen from a capsized boat and three others whose cars fell into a swelling river, it said.
In southern Pingtung County, 4,000 people were stranded in inundated villages waiting for police boats to rescue them, reported foreign agencies.
Morakot was centered 42 miles (70 kilometers) off China’s southeastern Fujian province Sunday morning. Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau said the storm had winds of up to 67 miles per hour (108 kilometers per hour) and was headed northwest toward China at a speed of 7 mph (11 kph).
About 1 million people were evacuated from China’s eastern coastal provinces Sunday — more than 470,000 people in Zhejiang and 485,000 others in neighboring Fujian. Authorities in Fujian called 48,000 boats back to harbor.
Morakot is the first typhoon to hit Taiwan this year.
- Over 150,000 Chinese evacuated as Typhoon Megi approaches - Oct 22, 2010
- Typhoon Fanapi hits China - Sep 20, 2010
- 150,000 evacuated in China due to typhoon threat - Oct 21, 2010
- Typhoon 'Megi' hits China, 270,000 evacuated - Oct 23, 2010
- Strong quake hits off southern Taiwan, no threat - Feb 15, 2011
- Taiwan typhoon toll rises to 153 - Aug 21, 2009
- Typhoon Morakot weakens, leaves trail of destruction in China - Aug 10, 2009
- Typhoon Talas leaves at least 18 dead in Japan - Sep 04, 2011
- At least 2 killed, 2 missing after ships collide off Taiwan - Oct 28, 2011
- Deadly typhoon Morakot causes severe flooding rains in Taiwan and China - Aug 11, 2009
- Typhoon Morakot causes widespread destruction in China (Second lead) - Aug 10, 2009
- "Typhoon Morakot" devastates Eastern China, Taiwan coastline, one million relocated - Aug 10, 2009
- Typhoon Fanapi kills 70 in China - Sep 25, 2010
- China issues disaster warning ahead of super typhoon Megi - Oct 19, 2010
- Typhoon Morakat kills 67 in Taiwan - Aug 12, 2009
Tags: capsized boat, central weather bureau, coastal provinces, disaster relief, first typhoon, fujian province, ibns, kaohsiung, kilometers per hour, kph, local media, miles per hour, pingtung county, police boats, s central, southern taiwan, taitung, taiwan taiwan, torrential rains, zhejiang