Rescue teams in Taiwan are actively searching for a cargo ship carrying nine crew members that sank off the southern coast.
The Tanzania-flagged ship went down near the port city of Kaohsiung as Typhoon Gaemi hit Taiwan.
The storm has caused significant damage, killing three people and injuring hundreds more. Before reaching Taiwan, Gaemi also devastated parts of the Philippines, resulting in eight deaths due to relentless rains.
The Taiwan Coastguard Administration reported that the ship’s crew consisted of nine Myanmar nationals.
They also mentioned that three other foreign vessels ran aground during the typhoon.
The severe weather conditions have led to the cancellation of many domestic and international flights, and parts of Taiwan’s largest annual military drills were called off.
Officials warned of potential landslides and flash flooding, especially in areas weakened by a large earthquake in April.
Among the casualties in Taiwan, one person was struck by a falling tree, and another was crushed by an overturned excavator.
Over 8,000 residents have been temporarily relocated.
Gaemi, the most powerful storm to hit Taiwan in eight years, made landfall near Hualien around midnight on Wednesday.
The government declared a typhoon day, suspending work and classes across the island, except for the Kinmen islands. Schools and offices remained closed on Thursday, and flights were cancelled.
The typhoon’s path shifted slightly south due to northern Taiwan’s mountainous terrain.
Gaemi is expected to weaken as it moves over the island’s mountains before heading into the Taiwan Strait towards China.
A second landfall is anticipated in Fujian province, with heavy rain expected in an already flood-stricken region. Rail services in China have been suspended in preparation.
Despite the strong winds, the main threat from Gaemi is the immense moisture it carries.
Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration issued a land warning, predicting between one and two meters of rainfall in the central and southern mountains within the next 24 hours.
In Taipei, supermarket shelves were emptied as residents prepared for price increases after the typhoon.
The government had to cancel parts of its week-long Hang Kuang military drills, which were intended to be the most realistic ever.
In the Philippines, Gaemi intensified the southwest monsoon, causing heavy rain in the capital region and northern provinces.
Metro Manila, home to nearly 15 million people, was placed under a state of calamity, with rivers and creeks overflowing.
Footage showed cars floating in chest-deep water and commuters stranded on bus roofs. T
he state weather bureau warned that rains could persist until Thursday.
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