At least one person was killed and 2 injured as Typhoon Haitang
pounded Taiwan Monday, forcing transportation to stop and severely
harming crops.
???
According to Taiwan-based media, the typhoon landed at the
northeastern county of Ilan around 2:50 pm (0650 GMT) Monday,
weakened at 5 pm and moved west-northwest at the speed of 11
kilometers per hour.
???
The typhoon brought storms to some mountain areas. The Taiwan
authorities has claimed 199 rivers prone to cause mud-rock flows,
whose area covers 85 villages. Some villages have been
evacuated.
???
The epicenter is expected to leave Taiwan at night and make
landfall on the mainland at 5 pm Tuesday, according to the local
weather bureau.
???
A resident in Taichung was attacked by a falling stone to death and
another Taichung resident was missing, local media reported.
???
Influenced by the typhoon and storm, work and classes were ordered
to be stopped a day, and most airlines and passenger trains on the
island have been shut.
???
At the Taoyuan airport, 160 flights were canceled on Monday, which
influenced 12,000 passengers. All the flights, trains and buses
were halted in Kaohsiung.
???
Local agricultural administration said the continuing heavy rain
has caused over 32 million new Taiwan dollars of crop loss in
Taichung county and an estimated 15 million new Taiwan dollars of
crop loss in Chiayi county.
(Xinhua News Agency July 19, 2005)