Taiwan mobilizes troops as Typhoon Krathon approaches

Schools and offices were shut down in Taiwan on Tuesday as the island braced for Typhoon Krathon. The storm is expected to hit the west coast as it moves away from the Philippines.

"The path of Krathon is relatively rare, entering from the south and exiting from the east. Therefore we must be particularly vigilant," President Lai Ching-te said during a government briefing, adding that it could "inevitably cause catastrophic damage."

Authorities said the typhoon was moving toward the island with maximum sustained winds of 198 kilometers per hour (123 miles per hour) and gusts of 245 kph (152 mph). It is equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane.

About 40,000 troops have been mobilized and more than 7,700 people have been evacuated, the Interior Ministry said.

Residents brace for floods, wind

Typhoon Krathon is expected to hit the southwestern port city of Kaohsiung with a population of 2.7 million people on Wednesday, the Central Weather Administration said. 

The city's shops and restaurants were closed on Tuesday, with several domestic and international flights canceled. Residents taped windows shut and put up sandbags and barriers to protect their homes from floodwaters.  

About 15 minor injuries were reported across Taiwan on Tuesday. In Taitung, a truck driver was hospitalized after he was hit by a falling rock while driving through a mountainous area, local reports said. 

The Taiwanese Coast Guard said a ship called "Blue Lagoon" off Taitung was taking on water and tilting over due to the storm. Its 19-strong crew was waiting to be airlifted as soon as weather conditions allowed.

Krathon is expected to move through the center of Taiwan to the East China Sea.

Up to 80 centimeters (31 inches) of rain was forecast in its mountainous areas.

The capital, Taipei, which lies to the north of the island, is expected to be hit by the storm on Wednesday or Thursday.

In the Philippines, Typhoon Krathon brought heavy rains and flooding, as winds toppled trees and blew away the roofs of houses in some villages.

About 2,000 people had to be evacuated. 

An airport terminal in Basco and an airstrip and hangar in Lingayen town were also flooded, said the Philippine Civil Aviation Authority.

Typhoons in the region are common at this time of the year. However, climate change driven by the continued burning of fossil fuels is making storms more intense and longer lasting.

tg/nm (AFP, Reuters)