TAIPEI, July 28, 2008 (AFP) - Typhoon Fung-wong slammed into Taiwan on Monday, forcing the closure of schools and offices across the island and severely disrupting travel after earlier wreaking havoc in the Philippines. The storm, which made landfall on Taiwan's eastern coast early in the day, brought fierce winds and heavy rains to many parts of the island before heading toward China's southeastern Fujian province, the Central Weather Bureau said. The stock market was closed for the day along with all schools and offices. Railway traffic was halted and dozens of flights cancelled as winds of up to 126 kilometres (78 miles) per hour swirled, uprooting trees.
The National Fire Agency, which coordinates rescue missions in Taiwan, said no casualties had been reported. But President Ma Ying-jeou urged residents to beware the possible danger of floods and mudslides, saying: "We must maintain a high level of vigilance." Hundreds of residents were evacuated from eastern coastal villages before the storm made landfall, and thousands of fishing boats were ordered to return to port. Authorities put 425 rivers on their alert list for possible flash floods. Nearly 700 millimetres (27 inches) of rain fell in northeastern Taiwan in a 24-hour period, authorities said.
All domestic flights and 56 international flights were scrapped for safety considerations, the Civil Aeronautics Administration told AFP. High-speed rail service was suspended, and it was not clear when it would resume. At 3:00 pm (0700 GMT), the eye of the typhoon was around 40 kilometres west of the central city of Taichung and moving northwest. The storm was losing steam, said forecasters at the Central Weather Bureau. The bureau had come under fire from the public, the media and Ma for underestimating the impact of tropical storm Kalmaegi, which struck the island earlier this month, leaving 20 people dead and six others missing. Three people went missing in the northern Philippines at the weekend when Fung-wong brushed past the northern tip of the main island of Luzon, causing widespread flooding, landslides and power outages, rescue officials said.
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