Typhoon Champi has claimed one life and left over 500 injured as it swept through Taiwan on Saturday. The island’s fire department reported that a man was swept away by waves near Liuqiu.
The storm caused significant disruption, with 280,000 homes losing power, though by Saturday morning, 80% had their electricity restored. Authorities reported heavy rain and strong winds leading to widespread power outages and the cancellation of 259 flights—an improvement from nearly 1,000 cancellations the previous day.
In Taipei, strong gusts uprooted several trees, prompting officials to declare a second day of closures for schools and offices in various districts.
As Champi weakened while heading north towards China, it was not expected to make landfall there. Chinese authorities have mobilised a team in the eastern province of Zhejiang, readying 400 rescue workers and over 600 pieces of equipment due to warnings of continued severe weather.
Originally classified as a super typhoon, Champi still recorded gusts of around 78 km/h (126 mph) near its centre, according to Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration.
