Category 4 Typhoon Kong-rey, the biggest typhoon to directly hit Taiwan in nearly 30 years, has made landfall on the islands eastern coast.
At least 1 person has reportedly died while schools and workplaces across Taiwan were closed on Thursday and supermarkets stripped bare, as millions of residents braced for the storm.
With a diameter of more than 500 kilometres and packing winds of around 33 km/h (20 mph) close to its centre, Kong-rey falls just short of being declared a super typhoon.
The lone death reported thus far, is that of a 56-year-old woman who was killed by a falling tree while traveling by car in central Nantou County, according to Taiwan’s Central Emergency Operations Center (CEOC). At least 73 storm-related injuries have been reported across the island, it added.
CEOC said Taiwan’s military has put more than 34,000 soldiers on standby to assist with rescue efforts and over 8,600 people have been evacuated from high-risk areas on Wednesday.
Kong-rey is the third typhoon to make landfall on Taiwan this year after Gaemi and Krathon which killed four people earlier this month.
