After ravaging Taiwan, Typhoon Soudelor hurtles to China

Jokpeme Joseph Omode August 08, 2015

 
A man is caught in strong gusts from Typhoon Soudelor in Taipei, Taiwan. Photo / AP
Typhoon Soudelor barrelled towards mainland China after downing trees, traffic lights and power lines in Taiwan, where at least six were killed, four are missing and dozens injured.

A mother holds her children in strong gusts from Typhoon Soudelor in Taipei, Taiwan. Photo / AP
A mother holds her children in strong gusts from Typhoon Soudelor in Taipei, Taiwan. Photo / AP
A total of 101 people have been hurt in Taiwan and more than 3 million households lost electricity as the powerful storm left streets strewn with fallen trees and debris from buildings.
All 279 scheduled domestic flights were cancelled yesterday, as well as at least 37 international flights.
An 8-year-girl and her mother died when they were swept out to sea on Friday from a beach on the east coast, the official Central News Agency reported.
The girl's twin sister remains missing.
Other casualties included a firefighter who was killed and another injured after being hit by a drunk driver as they tried to move a fallen tree in the island's south.
The centre of the storm made landfall in eastern Taiwan at 4.40am. Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau said that by mid-morning Soudelor was packing maximum sustained winds of 162km/h.
It was moving away from the island in a northwesterly direction last night, and weakened with top winds of up to 144 km/h.

A man passes a damaged structure from Typhoon Soudelor in Taipei, Taiwan. Photo / AP
A man passes a damaged structure from Typhoon Soudelor in Taipei, Taiwan. Photo / AP
An elderly woman is escorted in the strong winds from Typhoon Soudelor in Taipei, Taiwan. Photo / AP
An elderly woman is escorted in the strong winds from Typhoon Soudelor in Taipei, Taiwan. Photo / AP
Strong winds and heavy rain were still expected to continue in Taiwan today.
Authorities in southeast China ordered the evacuation of about 163,000 people and ships back to port ahead of the typhoon, which was expected to hit Fujian province this morning.
More than 7,000 soldiers and police were on standby, provincial authorities said
On Friday afternoon, marine police rescued 55 university students and teachers trapped on a small island where they had been attending a summer camp, after strong gales stopped ferry services, China's official Xinhua News Agency reported.
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Jokpeme Joseph Omode

Posted by: Jokpeme Joseph Omode

Jokpeme Joseph Omode stands as a prominent figure in contemporary journalism, embodying the spirit of a multifaceted storyteller who bridges history, poetry, and investigative reporting to champion social progress. As the Editor-in-Chief and CEO of Alexa News Network (Alexa.ng), Omode has transformed a digital platform into a vital voice for governance, education, youth empowerment, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development in Africa. His career, marked by over a decade of experience across media, public relations, brand strategy, and content creation, reflects a relentless commitment to using journalism as a tool for accountability and societal advancement.

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