Typhoon Champi kills one and injures over 500 in Taiwan, then heads for China

Typhoon Champi brushed past Taiwan's northeast coast on Saturday, 24 October, killing one person and injuring more than 500 before moving north toward China. The storm uprooted trees and cut power across the island. Earlier classed as a super typhoon, it has been one of the strongest storms in the Pacific this year.

Storm status

Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (CWA) said Champi had weakened but still produced gusts of about 126 km/h (78 mph) near its centre. The storm lay roughly 150 km (93 miles) east of the island, having glanced off the northeast coast in the early hours of Saturday.

The forecast track has it turning north toward the Chinese coast and later moving into southern Japan.

Casualties and disruption

Taiwan's fire department said the dead man was swept away by waves on Liuqiu island. A further 527 people were hurt amid strong winds and torrential rain.

The power company Taipower reported that more than 167,000 homes lost electricity, though most have since been reconnected. Large parts of northern and central Taiwan, including the capital Taipei, closed offices and schools for a second day, and some flights were still being cancelled on Saturday.

Taiwan is generally well prepared for typhoons, which keeps casualties low. Such storms are more common in summer but can also strike in autumn.