China Typhoon "Gaemi" rages in Taiwan - At least three dead

At least three people have been killed by Typhoon Gaemi in heavy rain and storms in Taiwan. 284 people were also injured, according to the Taiwanese authorities. Television footage showed heavy rainfall and widespread flooding. Vehicles were damaged by fallen trees. According to official figures, more than 450,000 households were temporarily without power.

The center of the tropical storm reached the eastern Taiwanese coastal city of Yilan early Thursday morning (local time), from where the storm moved further west. As on the previous day, when the first foothills of "Gaemi" paralyzed large parts of the island republic, schools and offices remained closed on Thursday. There was also no trading on the Taiwanese stock exchange for the second day in a row.

Tropical storm continues to move towards China

In the southern city of Kaohsiung, a 64-year-old scooter driver was killed by fallen trees. In the eastern Taiwanese city of Hualien, a 45-year-old woman was killed in a car that was hit by a collapsing wall. Her child was reported to be in a critical condition. Another death was reported in the city of New Taipei.

"Gaemi" is heading towards China, where the authorities have been warning of the approaching storm for days. The center of the storm was expected to reach the coastal province of Fujian on Thursday afternoon. China has been experiencing heavy rainfall and flooding throughout the summer, with many casualties. It has also been raining heavily in the capital Beijing since Wednesday.