Thousands evacuated as super typhoon hits Taiwan
Super Typhoon Nepartak lashed Taiwan with powerful winds and torrential rain as it made landfall early Friday, forcing thousands to evacuate their homes as the island cancelled hundreds of flights and shut offices and schools for the day.
Packing gusts of up to 234 kilometres per hour (145 miles per hour), it landed at Taimali township in eastern Taitung county shortly
Nearly 9,000 people have been moved from their homes which were prone to landslides or flooding and about 1,800 of them were in shelters.
As many as 97,000 households lost power due to the storm, with more than 70,000 still without electricity as of Friday morning.
The government said financial markets, schools and offices would all be closed Friday.
Most scheduled domestic flights were cancelled while 365 international flights were affected, Taipei's two main airports. The railway will be closed for most of the day.