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— A powerful typhoon made landfall in Taiwan on Thursday, killing two people and bringing high winds and floods to much of the island’s east coast and northern areas, after barreling past the northern Philippines.
Flights and train service were suspended in Taiwan and 8,600 people moved to shelters.
Typhoon Kong-rey was blowing at 184 kilometers per hour (114 miles per hour) with gusts of up to 227 kph (141 mph) as it moved over the eastern county of Taitung. Parts of Yilan and Hualien counties were inundated by heavy rain, but many farmers in the largely rural areas had already brought in their crops in anticipation of damage from the storm.
Kong-rey’s winds weakened to 144 kph (89 mph) as of Thursday night, according to Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration, and the center of the storm moved off the main island. It is expected to move northeast and will hit Taiwan’s outlying islands.
Taiwan authorities reported two dead and 205 injuries from the storm as of Thursday afternoon.
