Typhoon Champi kills 1 and injures 350 in Taiwan overnight as storm weakens

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Typhoon Champi killed one person and injured hundreds in Taiwan, as well as downing trees and knocking out power for hundreds of thousands of people as the storm’s strong winds and rains continued overnight Friday into Saturday morning.

Although Champi did not hit Taiwan directly, the storm’s span was large enough to impact most of Taiwan. The island’s weather authorities said the storm was weakening Saturday morning and that by evening, the land warnings for the typhoon would be removed.

Taiwan’s Central Emergency Operations Center reported that 350 were injured as of Friday night. The one death was a man who was washed away by waves in Taiwan’s Pingtung county, the island’s southernmost part.

The storm knocked out power for 280,000 households, according to United Daily News, a local Taiwanese newspaper, citing the island’s power authorities. But power had returned to 80% of households by Saturday morning.

On Friday, 563 flights were canceled at Taiwan’s main international airport in Taoyuan. An additional 261 flights were canceled on Saturday, according to the semi-official Central News Agency.

Across the island, the storm downed trees and signs, some smaller structures, and even the ceiling of a college dorm in Taipei.

It will weaken as it head toward Japan.