As of Thursday afternoon, 23 people have died in Taiwan and the Philippines as a typhoon moves through the region.
A typhoon, or tropical storm, is raging in Southeast Asia, which has caused 23 deaths and more than 3,000 injuries in the Philippines and Taiwan between Wednesday and Thursday.
Typhoon Gaemi sank a cargo ship flying the country’s flag in Taiwan. Rescuers were still looking for nine members of the ship’s crew during the day on Thursday. In addition, five cargo ships have run aground.
In the southern Taiwan city of Kaohsiung, the typhoon has caused severe flooding. The streets of the southern parts of the city have turned into rivers and some households are flooded with rainwater. In many cities, schools and offices are closed on Thursday for the second day already. Taiwan has evacuated thousands of people.
It is the strongest typhoon observed in Taiwan in eight years.
An oil tanker sank in the Philippines
Before Taiwan, the typhoon hit the Philippine Islands. There, 20 people have died in landslides and floods.
An oil tanker was sunk by a typhoon off the coast of the Philippines. The accident happened in Manila Bay, on the outskirts of the capital Manila. The tanker’s crew managed to be saved almost completely, but one of the members is still missing. Rescue work has been hampered by strong wind and rough seas.
The oil tanker sailing under the flag of the Philippines was carrying 1.4 million liters of oil. The oil spill is the third, i.e. the highest level case in the national oil spill contingency plan, says an expert in environmental sciences Hernando Bacosa From the University of Mindanao in the Philippines to the British Broadcasting Corporation for the BBC.
According to the authorities, an oil well of at least four kilometers has leaked from the ship into the sea. However, the effects can be much wider. Difficult stormy weather has delayed the oil cleanup operation.
According to the BBC, the typhoon has already crossed Taiwan and is now continuing its journey towards the southern parts of China. According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute, typhoons can last up to weeks.
Ylen’s Asian correspondent Mika Hentunen reports from the ground that the rains have already caused havoc in China.
Experts say climate change has increased the intensity of tropical cyclones.
Source: AFP