Typhoon Koinu kills one in Taiwan; China braces for storm

Typhoon Koinu swept past the southern tip of Taiwan on Thursday (Oct 5) killing one person. According to a report by the news agency Reuters, the typhoon blew down billboards, littering debris on the roadside. Some pedestrians were hit by the falling billboards, and vehicles and motorcycles were also knocked down. More than 300 people were reported to be injured in Taiwan.

Nearly 330,000 households in the region experienced power outages, and so far 69,000 have not yet had their power supply resumed, the report said.

Manzhou Town most severely affected by Koinu

Manzhou Town in Pingtung County is the area most severely affected by the typhoon. Entire rows of utility poles were blown down by the strong wind, and the local power supply department was organising emergency repairs.

"There are about 30 or 40 utility poles completely broken like this. The wind was too heavy, breaking them down in the middle, so it was hard to shoot the trouble. Road traffic is already affected. We are now trying to clear the road and let it go smoothly," an emergency repair worker told the news agency.

Koinu, which means "puppy" in Japanese, made landfall in Taiwan as a category-four typhoon. Most cities and counties on the island declared a day off work. Heavy rain is forecast to last in Taiwan till Friday.

China's coastal provinces brace for typhoon

Meanwhile, coastal provinces in China, namely Fujian and Guangdong, have been placed on high alert as they brace for Koinu. According to the National Observatory, the typhoon is headed westward towards Guangdong and is forecast to make landfall in the eastern coastal regions of Guangdong on Saturday.

The typhoon is poised to affect many scenic spots in the region, which has forced many of them to shut down as of Wednesday.

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