DHAKA: Typhoon Nepartak hit Taiwan’s east coast on Friday, leaving two dead and 66 injured, as well as forcing evacuations and disrupting services.

More than 15,000 people had to leave their homes as hundreds of flights were cancelled and offices and schools shut.

The typhoon packed winds of up to 198km/h and made landfall just before 06:00 local time (22:00 GMT Thursday) in eastern Taitung, reports the BBC.

The storm is expected to hit China’s Fujian province by Saturday morning.

The storm has now weakened to a medium-strength typhoon, according to the island’s Central Weather Bureau and should be a tropical storm upon reaching China.

‘The wind is very strong,’ a resident of Taitung told the media.

‘Many hut roofs and signs on the streets have been blown away,’ another resident said.

Some 270,000 households have been affected by power cuts, Li Wei-sen, Taiwan’s Central Emergency Operations Center spokesman told the media.

He also added that railway services had been suspended, and more than 500 domestic and international flights cancelled.

Nearly 4,400 soldiers have been deployed around the island, with 35,000 troops on standby to help with evacuations and disaster relief.

BDST: 2025 HRS, JUL 08, 2016
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