At least 9 dead in Taiwan hospital fire as Typhoon Krathon pounds island nation
Fire brigade dousing the hospital fire
A hospital electrical fire in the southernmost county of Pingtung inTaiwankilled nine people, the regional government said on Thursday (October 3).
Reports indicate that soldiers from a nearby base were mobilized to aid medical workers and firefighters in the evacuation of patients and putting out the flames. As many as 176 patients were rushed to the front entrance and transferred to ambulances or tarps, used to shield them from the pouring rain. They were moved to shelters nearby.
The incident occurred on the same day the health ministry was working to evacuate patients to other facilities due to Krathon, which made landfall as a weakened typhoon in southwesternTaiwan.
Watch |Two killed, thousands evacuated as typhoon Krathon approaches Taiwan
Krathon made landfall as a much weaker category 1 typhoon around mid-day at the major port city of Kaohsiung.
The government, though, still warned people to stay at home given torrential rain, strong winds and storm surges coinciding with high tide.
Typhoons often hit Taiwan's east coast facing the Pacific, but Krathon is unusual in that it directly hit the west coast. Local media labeled it a "weird" storm for that reason, and because of how it hovered off the coast before reaching land.
The typhoon is forecast to slowly work its way up Taiwan's flat western plain and weaken further into a tropical depression by late Friday before reaching the capital Taipei.
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