Typhoon Champi causes casualties and widespread disruption in Taiwan

Typhoon Champi struck Taiwan on Saturday, 24 October, leaving at least one person dead and more than 527 injured, according to Taiwan's fire department. A man was swept away by waves near the island of Liuqiu, making this the confirmed fatality from the storm.

The typhoon brought heavy rainfall and powerful winds that forced authorities to cut electricity to around 280,000 households. However, supply had been restored to approximately 80 percent of these households by Saturday morning. The severe weather caused significant disruption to transport services. While 259 flights were cancelled on Saturday, this represented a considerable improvement from the nearly 1,000 cancellations recorded on the previous day. The strong winds damaged infrastructure across the country, with trees uprooted in several districts. Northern and central Taiwan, including the capital Taipei, remained closed for schools and offices for the second consecutive day.

Champi had initially formed as a super typhoon and was ranked among the strongest Pacific storms of the year. As it moved northward toward China, the system weakened considerably. In response, authorities in Zhejiang, an eastern Chinese province, mobilized a 400-strong rescue team and deployed 600 pieces of equipment. More than 41,000 firefighters were placed on emergency standby, although the storm was not expected to make landfall in China.