Typhoon Doksuri struck China’s southeastern coast and Taiwan on Friday, according to state weather agencies, after devastating parts of the Philippines where it claimed at least 39 lives, including many who were aboard an overcrowded boat that capsized in fierce winds.
The typhoon made landfall in China’s coastal Fujian province around 10:00 a.m. local time, as reported by the National Meteorological Center.
Chinese state news agency Xinhua noted that over 724,600 people were impacted, with more than 416,000 already evacuated in Fujian.
At the time of landfall, winds were nearing 175 kilometers per hour (108 mph), according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
In China, several coastal cities, including Xiamen, Quanzhou, and Zhangzhou, had temporarily closed businesses, factories, and schools by Friday afternoon, Xinhua added.
Power outages were also reported in parts of Xiamen, as per the State Grid Xiamen Electric Power Supply Company.
The economic toll of Doksuri has been significant, with direct losses estimated at 52.27 million yuan ($7.3 million), primarily due to the storm’s impact on farmland.
Meanwhile, Taiwan continued to experience heavy rains from the storm, though the island’s weather agency lifted its highest rainfall warning on Friday morning.
The Central Emergency Operation Center in Taiwan reported that at least one person had died and 68 were injured due to the typhoon.
The storm caused extensive damage in Taiwan, bringing down trees and causing power outages that affected around 278,182 households, as reported by the official Central News Agency (CNA) citing Taiwan Power Co.
Additionally, more than 200 domestic and international flights in Taiwan were delayed or canceled on Friday, according to the Civil Aeronautics Administration, CNA added.
Earlier in the week, Doksuri had ravaged the Philippines’ most populous island, Luzon, with the northern regions bearing the brunt of the storm’s fury.
The Philippine Coast Guard conducted rescue operations after a wooden boat sank on July 27, just yards from reaching Talim Island, southeast of the capital Manila. The boat, designed to carry 42 passengers, was overloaded with at least 66 people on board, according to the coast guard.
“Definitely we are going to file a complaint together with the PNP (Philippine National Police) against the captain and the motorboat operator,” said Coast Guard spokesperson Rear Adm. Armand Balilo.
An additional 13 people lost their lives elsewhere in the country due to Doksuri, known locally as Egay, as reported by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council on Friday.
The agency added that the storm caused flooding in five regions and triggered over a dozen rain-induced landslides.
