Typhoon Lashes Formosa

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29894, 7 August 1962, Page 15

Typhoon Lashes Formosa

(A Z.P A •Rout er-—C'opynphtj

TAIPEH. August 6.

Tj’phoon “Opal” battered across northern Formosa with winds gusting to 175 miles per hour for four hours last night, killing 31 persons in the town of Ilan alone.

Prelim.nary reports from Ilan said soother 200 were seriously injured, and 4000 house? destroyed The town's powei and water <upolie; were cut off and its communications system was 'ompletely disrupted the reports sa.d Han is 40 m.les south-east ot Taioeh "Opal” hit Ilan at 10.30 p m. local time last night and

then veered off from a northwesterly to a westerly direction cutting a path of destruction covering all major ’it es in no-thern Formosa At 1 30 a m it blew out into Formosa Stra’t with its force -educed to 135 miles an hour gusts The typhoon was headed for the Fukien coast of China some 100 miles north of Amoy.

Keelung. Formosa's northern port, was hit by 115mile winds which set loose a ♦OOO- ton Korean freighter Witnesses said it was tossing around and was posing a threat to other vessels and harbour facilities Preliminary police reoorts said three oersons were iniured.

Taipeh at the height of the Typhoon’s assault, w-as shrouded in black mist Many trees were uprooted ind signboards were littered around. At least three persons were reoorted injured Police said the island's death toll and damage was expected to increase with the receipt of fuller reports.