Two dead, over 300 injured as storm Danas sweeps Taiwan

Taipei, July 7 (CNA) Danas, which made landfall in Budai Township of Chiayi County in southern Taiwan as a typhoon late Sunday night before weakening to a tropical storm early Monday morning, left two people dead and 334 injured, according to the Central Emergency Operation Center (CEOC).

The two fatalities occurred in Tainan, where the storm brought heavy winds and torrential rain.

One victim, a 60-year-old man who relied on a respirator, died after a power outage cut electricity to his medical equipment at around 2 a.m. The second, a 69-year-old fruit vendor, was killed when a falling tree struck him shortly after 4 a.m., the CEOC said.

As of 8 a.m. Monday, 2,270 storm-related incidents had been reported nationwide, including damage to infrastructure and falling trees, the CEOC said. Tainan recorded the highest number of injuries at 165, followed by Chiayi City with 55.

Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) presided over a CEOC meeting Monday morning to assess damage and coordinate the government's emergency response. Authorities warned that mountainous areas in central, southern and eastern Taiwan, particularly Taichung, Nantou, Yunlin, Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Hualien, remain at risk of landslides and other hazards.

In total, 3,483 people were evacuated from 10 cities and counties, including Kaohsiung, Pingtung, Nantou, Yilan and Hualien. Kaohsiung accounted for the largest share with 2,327 evacuees. As of 7 a.m., 47 shelters had been opened, housing around 580 people, the CEOC said.

The CEOC said that flooding was reported in 200 locations, with lingering floodwaters in parts of Taichung (11 cases), Chiayi (3), Tainan (3), Kaohsiung (3) and Pingtung (1). A top-level flood alert remained in effect for some areas in Miaoli and Taichung.

Danas also caused widespread power and water outages. The CEOC said that 496,000 households experienced power cuts at the peak of the storm, with over 388,000 still without electricity as of Monday morning. Water supplies were disrupted for more than 68,000 households, with about 17,000 still waiting for service to be restored.

The CEOC said the storm damaged 9,653 landline connections and 907 mobile base stations. Repair efforts were ongoing, with more than 7,000 lines and nearly 700 mobile stations still offline.

Around 8,000 tourists were stranded in the outlying Penghu Islands, 2,000 in the Matsu Islands, 536 on Green Island and 78 on Orchid Island due to suspended transportation services. The CEOC said there were no immediate concerns for their safety.

According to the Central Weather Administration (CWA), Danas was downgraded from a typhoon to a tropical storm at around 5 a.m. Monday as its outer bands weakened. The storm's center exited Taiwan around 6 a.m.

As of 11 a.m., Danas was 130 kilometers north of Taipei, moving northwest at 7-12 kilometers per hour, with maximum sustained winds of 90 kph and gusts up to 119 kph.

Liu urged residents in vulnerable areas, especially in Pingtung, to stay alert for possible mudslides. She also called on local governments to expedite recovery efforts and provide assistance to affected communities.

To stabilize consumer prices, Liu said the government will monitor fruit and vegetable supplies and work with supermarkets to offer discounts where needed.