Two killed as slow-moving Typhoon Krathon lumbers into southern Taiwan

Taipei, Taiwan CNN —

Two people have died after a typhoon slammed into southwestern Taiwan, deluging the major port city of Kaohsiung with heavy rain and forcing the island to shut down for a second day.

With winds of up to 135 kilometers per hour (85 miles per hour), Typhoon Krathon made landfall along southern Taiwan shortly after noon on Thursday, the equivalent of a Category 1 Atlantic hurricane.

Two people died and 219 injuries have been reported, according to Taiwan’s Central Emergency Operations Center, adding that one person is also missing.

One was a 66-year-old driver hit by falling rocks. The other was a 70-year-old man who fell while trimming a tree during the typhoon, according to the center.

A man runs amid heavy rain and powerful winds, as Typhoon Krathon makes landfall in the port city of Kaohsiung, Southern Taiwan, on October 3, 2024.

For several hours before making landfall, Krathon moved slowly along the southern coast. In previous days it had hovered between Taiwan and the Philippines as a Category 4 equivalent, with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te warning of “catastrophic damage.”

While the storm has since weakened, it has battered Taiwan with a deluge, forcing the closure of schools and the stock market earlier this week. Hundreds of flights have been suspended, and as of 3 p.m. close to 100,000 households faced power outages, according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

A wide swath of 250-500 mm (10-20 inches) with isolated totals over a meter (40 inches) have occurred from Krathon. Additional rainfall of 250 — 500 mm (10-20 inches) are possible from Krathon as it meanders over and near Taiwan.

Schools and offices were once again closed across Taiwan on Thursday. More than 38,000 Taiwanese