Typhoon Champi batters Taiwan, injuring more than 500

YILAN/TAIPEI: Typhoon Champi left one person dead and more than 500 injured as it swept past Taiwan on October 24, bringing powerful winds and torrential rain that knocked out electricity, toppled trees and disrupted flights. The storm, at one point a super typhoon and one of the strongest in the Pacific this year, weakened as it moved north toward the Chinese coast, though it was not expected to make landfall there. Champi was about 170 km (106 miles) northeast of Taiwan after glancing off the northeastern coast in Yilan County early on October 24, Taiwan's Central Weather Administration said. The storm's center turned south around midnight, hugged the Yilan coastline, made a rare loop offshore, and moved north away from the island. Wind gusts reached 227 kph (141 mph) in some coastal areas, knocking down power lines and sending roof tiles flying. "It was most terrifying around midnight," said a retired teacher surnamed Lin as he inspected downed banana trees in his garden in Yilan. "It was a sleepless night. I haven't seen anything like this in many years." Taiwan's fire department said one person was killed after being swept away by waves from the island of Liuqiu, while 527 people were injured during the heavy winds and rain. More than 288,000 homes lost electricity, although power company Taipower said most had since been reconnected. The transport ministry said 259 flights were canceled on October 24, down from almost 1,000 on Friday. Governments across parts of northern and central Taiwan, including Taipei, declared a second day of office and school closures. Champi was still producing gusts of around 126 kph (78 mph) near its center and was forecast to track north along the Chinese coast before eventually moving towards southern Japan. China's emergency management ministry sent a team to Zhejiang province and warned of strong winds and heavy rain through October 25. More than 3,800 fishing boats returned to harbor in the coastal city of Taizhou, while state media reported that offshore fish-farm workers were brought ashore and 2,084 island visitors were evacuated. Authorities also halted 25 offshore construction projects and suspended 18 passenger ferry routes.