Typhoon Krathon shuts parts of Taiwan for a third day as it nears the island with extreme rains

KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan (AP) — A slow-moving typhoon approaching Taiwan led to school and office closures for a third consecutive day Thursday, with authorities asking people to stay indoors.

Typhoon Krathon, packing fierce winds and torrential rainfall, was around 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest of the major port city of Kaohsiung on Thursday morning, traveling northeastward at a speed of 4 kph (2.5 mph), according to the island’s Central Weather Administration.

It was expected to make landfall later Thursday on Taiwan’s densely populated west coast. The typhoon, packing maximum sustained winds near the center of 137 kph (85 mph) and gusts of 173 kph (107 mph), is expected to continue to weaken as it moves inland.

The typhoon has brought Kaohsiung, a city of 2.7 million people, to a standstill for the past three days. Stores and restaurants have been shuttered, and residents kept away from markets and harbors. All domestic flights have been grounded for the past two days.

Storms attributed to Krathon injured more than 100 people in southern and southeastern areas of the island, according to Taiwan’s emergency response agency. Two people died — one after driving into fallen rocks on the road in the southeastern Taitung county, and the other while trimming tree branches in the city of Hualien. Two others remained missing.

Thousands were evacuated from areas vulnerable to mudslides and landslides. Almost 40,000 troops were on standby to help with rescue efforts.

Mountainous areas in the island’s south have seen up to 150 centimeters (4.9 feet) of rain over the past five days.

Typhoons rarely hit Taiwan’s west coast, affecting instead the mountainous, eastern side of the island.

The typhoon on Monday lashed northern Philippine islands, where four people were killed and at least 5,000 were displaced, officials said.