'94 Injured' Typhoon Champi Passes Taiwan, Heads for Japan: "Winds Strong Enough to Overturn Trucks"

Taiwan closes stock market and cancels all domestic flights
Widespread flight cancellations in Okinawa and Kagoshima, Japan

Typhoon No. 30, Champi, is expected to pass Taiwan before turning toward the Japanese archipelago.

Typhoon Champi's status at 10:20 a.m. on the 23rd. Screenshot from Taiwan's National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction (NCDR).

Taiwanese media, including the United Daily News and the Liberty Times, reported on October 23 that Taiwan's Central Disaster Response Center said one person had died and 94 had been injured as a result of Champi as of 6:30 a.m. that day. It also said 1,286 people had evacuated across Taiwan as of 8 a.m.

On the evening of October 22, work and school suspensions were ordered in 20 municipalities, including Taipei, the capital, as well as Hsinchu, home to the headquarters of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world's largest foundry, and Kaohsiung. Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (CWA) also issued a land warning for Taiwan's main island and marine warnings for waters around Taiwan and the Bashi Channel on October 22. Taiwan's stock market was also closed, and all domestic flights were canceled.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said on October 22, "Champi is the first typhoon to directly affect Taiwan since the fall began this year." He urged the public to be alert to strong winds and heavy rain, and instructed the Executive Yuan, Taiwan's cabinet, to work closely with the relevant government agencies and local governments to prevent disasters and protect people's lives and property.

Taiwan's Central Weather Administration said the typhoon's center could approach within 80 kilometers of Taiwan from late on October 23 into the early hours of October 24, before making landfall on the northeastern or northern coast.

The Japan Meteorological Agency expects the typhoon, which is characterized by strong winds and heavy rain, to cross Kyushu and Shikoku and then pass through Honshu, causing damage in both western and eastern Japan.

A weather agency official warned, "The Sakishima Islands (south of Okinawa) should remain on high alert for heavy rain, high waves, high tides and storms through October 25. In particular, winds could reach a maximum speed of 40 meters per second and be strong enough to overturn a moving truck."

On October 22, the Japanese government set up a crisis management center in the information liaison office at the Prime Minister's Office. Okinawa Prefecture also held a disaster response headquarters meeting that day to review its preparations.

Meanwhile, the airport on Ishigaki Island in southern Okinawa, a popular destination for tourists, was closed on the afternoon of October 22. The ferry terminal also remained effectively closed, and a marathon scheduled to take place in Kagoshima over three days starting October 23 was canceled. A total of 59 All Nippon Airways(ANA) and Japan Airlines (JAL) flights scheduled to depart from or arrive in Okinawa Prefecture and Kagoshima Prefecture were canceled.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.