(Taipei) The death toll from Typhoon Krathon, which swept across the south of the island of Taiwan on Thursday, increased by two new deaths, bringing the number of those killed to four, authorities announced on Saturday.
Two missing people were found dead in New Taipei on Saturday, the National Fire Agency said, without giving details.
The typhoon also injured 700 people.
Across the island, 20,000 homes were still without power on Saturday, mainly in the coastal city of Kaohsiung where the typhoon made landfall.
PHOTO WALID BERRAZEG, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Taiwanese soldiers remove fallen trees after typhoon Krathon in Kaohsiung, October 4, 2024.
In New Taipei City, heavy rains caused landslides and flooded streets, temporarily stranding dozens of students in their schools, authorities said.
In Kaohsiung and neighboring Pingtung, around 1,500 troops were deployed to help with relief operations, according to the Defense Ministry, which said 250 troops were mobilized to New Taipei and Keelung to help clear the roads.
The island of Taiwan is used to tropical storms, which are frequent from July to October. But according to experts, they are forming closer and closer to the coast, gaining intensity more quickly and lasting longer after making landfall due to climate change.
The typhoon Gaemiwhich hit Taiwan in July, was the most powerful in eight years, and left at least ten dead, hundreds injured and caused large-scale flooding in Kaohsiung.