TAIPEI: The strongest typhoon to hit Taiwan in eight years killed five people and flooded parts of the island’s second-biggest city on Thursday, with rescuers searching for six sailors missing after their cargo ship sank in the storm.

Typhoon Gaemi transformed streets in southern Kaohsiung city into rivers, with some households flooded by rainwater. Schools and offices were closed in several cities for a second day, with the stock market suspended and thousands of people evacuated.

Gaemi also exacerbated seasonal rains in the Philippines on its path to Taiwan, triggering flooding and landslides that killed 20 people. A tanker carrying 1.4 million litres of oil sank off Manila on Thursday, with authorities racing to contain a spill.

The storm had weakened by Thursday morning and “the centre has moved out to sea” at around 4:20am, Taiwan’s weather authorities said. Taiwan’s fire agency said it received a report that a cargo ship had sunk off the island’s southwestern coast, forcing its nine Myanmar crew members to abandon ship in life jackets.

“They fell into the sea and were floating there,” said Hsiao Huan-chang, head of the fire agency. Hsiao did not specify when the Tanzania-flagged ship sank but adverse weather conditions hindered the search, which involved rescue aircraft and had been ongoing since 3:30pm.

Taiwan’s Coast Guard later issued a statement saying that two crew members were brought to a police station in the late afternoon.

“They were confirmed to be the first mate and chef of the ship,” the coast guard said, adding that authorities expanded a shore patrol and found another sailor.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2024