Panic: Evacuation of 150,000 people

Taiwan’s Central Meteorological Agency (CMA) issued a sea and land typhoon warning for the entire main island, while Taiwan President Lai Ching-te urged residents not to make trips unless they can ensure their safety.

97 flights and 73 regular train services have also been canceled for Wednesday and Thursday, with three of Taiwan’s largest carriers – EVA Air, China Airlines and Starlux Airlines – announcing disruptions due to the typhoon, Sinhua reports.

More than 29,000 people working on fishing rafts took shelter ashore, 733 fishing boats returned to ports and about 3,200 people were evacuated ashore from ships, the provincial flood control office said.

Three people died in the Chinese region of Taiwan as a result of typhoon Gaemi, and authorities today continue the search for the nine crew members of a ship that sank on Wednesday near the southern coast of the island, the BBC reports.

The search continues for the nine Myanmar nationals who worked on the tanker in Taiwan. Over 8,000 people were evacuated, while around 200 flights were delayed, according to the authorities.

Schools and offices will be closed on the island today, after all institutions were closed on Wednesday.

Several train operators in China have also suspended operations. In the impact of the typhoon in the Philippines, eight people were killed, and work and classes were stopped, while stock trading was suspended.

In the capital Manila, home to almost 15 million people, a state of emergency was declared on Wednesday due to the typhoon.