51 injured, Yilan hardest-hit as Tropical Storm Fung-Wong sweeps Taiwan

Taipei, Nov. 12 (CNA) Fifty-one people were injured and more than 8,000 residents evacuated nationwide as Tropical Storm Fung-Wong slammed Taiwan, with Yilan County in the northeast hit hardest, the Central Emergency Operation Center (CEOC) said Wednesday.

● Tropical Storm Fung-Wong weakens as it nears southern Taiwan

Yilan accounted for 12 of the 51 injuries, while the remaining cases were scattered across other counties and cities, CEOC data showed.

The CEOC reported 349 disaster incidents nationwide as of Wednesday morning, including 99 flooding events, 76 of which occurred in Yilan. In the county, 25 locations remained flooded, leaving 5,907 households without power and 370 households without water.

Mountainous areas in Yilan, Hualien, Taitung, Taipei, and New Taipei are still at high risk of secondary disasters, including landslides and debris flows, authorities warned.

A total of 56 red alerts for potential debris flows were issued nationwide, with 35 in Yilan and 21 in New Taipei.

In Hualien County, floodwaters from Matai'an Creek inundated Mingli Village in Wanrong Township after the river overflowed from an unprotected stretch. No casualties were reported.

The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency kept a red alert for the upstream barrier lake on Matai'an Creek, noting that the overflow reflected normal scouring with no indication of dam collapse.

During the storm, the downstream spillway channel widened, and sections of the slopes on both sides partially collapsed; however, the water flow remains unobstructed, the agency said.

By 8 a.m., CEOC data showed that 8,326 people had been evacuated across 10 counties and cities, including 5,305 in Hualien, 1,465 in Yilan, 611 in New Taipei, 498 in Pingtung, and 348 in Kaohsiung.

Road transport was also disrupted. Three highway sections, including Provincial Highway No. 9 in Hualien and Highway No. 20 between Xiangyang and Lidao in Taitung, were closed due to flooding or landslides.

The Transport Ministry also suspended all services on the Pingxi, Shen'ao, and parts of the South Link railway lines.

As of noon, Fung-Wong was centered about 130 kilometers west of Taiwan's southern tip, moving east-northeast at approximately 18 kilometers per hour, with maximum sustained winds of 65 kph and gusts of up to 90 kph, according to the Central Weather Administration.