Typhoon Gaemi roared through Taiwan on Thursday, leaving at least three people dead. Taiwan’s defense authorities have cut short a large-scale annual exercise that was scheduled to end on Friday to free troops for rescue operations.
Taiwan authorities say the typhoon made landfall on Yilan County on the Pacific side around midnight Wednesday.
Gaemi unleashed strong winds and heavy rains in Taiwan even before the landfall. Three people had reportedly been killed by 2 p.m. on Thursday, and 380 others were injured in wide areas.
The typhoon moved into the Taiwan Strait about four hours after making landfall. But downpours have continued, mainly in southern Taiwan.
Precipitation topped 1,000 millimeters on Thursday alone in some mountainous areas.
The rain has caused swollen rivers and landslides. In Hualien County, a railway bridge was swept away, leaving rails hanging in midair.
Gaemi has now become a severe tropical storm, but strong winds and heavy rains are still expected in some areas of Taiwan from Thursday night.
About 12,000 people have been evacuated in wide areas as called for by local authorities.