1 dead, 70 injured, 2 missing as typhoon nears

Taipei, Oct. 2 (CNA) Heavy winds and rain brought by Typhoon Krathon have caused the death of one person, injured 70 others and left two people unaccounted for as of 3 p.m. on Wednesday, according to the Central Emergency Operation Center (CEOC).

The Hualien County Fire Department confirmed around 11 a.m. Tuesday that a man in his 70s had fallen to his death while trimming a tree at his home in the county's Shoufeng Township.

Meanwhile, the Yunlin County Fire Department received a report of an individual falling into the sea at around 1 p.m. Tuesday, however, the department had to suspend search and rescue operations due to the rough waves.

The other missing individual was swept away by the current near Shuiyuan Bridge in Hualien's Sioulin Township at around 2 p.m. Wednesday, according to witnesses who reported the incident. The fire department said they are currently searching for the individual. 

Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry said 9,240 people have been evacuated from 11 cities and counties as of 2 p.m. Tuesday.

Of those, 357 were evacuated in New Taipei, 4 in Taichung, 93 in Nantou County, 8 in Yunlin County, 32 in Chiayi County, 628 in Tainan, 2,682 in Kaohsiung, 1,249 in Pingtung County, 95 in Yilan County, 3,064 in Hualien County and 1,028 in Taitung County.

As of 3 p.m. Tuesday, 104 shelters have been set up, with 1,654 people taking shelter, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, the Taitung County Public Health Bureau reported one death, which it said had been caused by the typhoon.

The deceased was a man driving a truck that collided with a large rock on the South Link Highway in Taimali Township on Monday. Efforts to treat him were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead by the hospital Wednesday morning.

However, the death is yet to officially be confirmed by the CEOC as being caused by the typhoon.

For more details on the current weather in Taiwan, please visit the Central Weather Administration website. 

Update

Oct. 2: Offices, schools to close again on Thursday due to typhoon

Oct. 2: Typhoon Krathon to make landfall late Wednesday night at earliest: CWA