President Ma Ying-jeou is urging both the central government and local governments to stay alert as Taiwan braces for Typhoon Soudelor.
Ma was speaking Friday at the Central Emergency Operation Center. He also called on the public to stay away from coastal areas. That’s after an adult and three children were swept away from a beach in northeastern Taiwan on Thursday. The incident killed two and injured one.
"It’s Father’s Day tomorrow, so people may still go out. But past experience tells us that accidents often happen outdoors, especially on the coast," Ma said. "When there are strong winds, many people like to go see huge waves, but this may end in tragedy."
Schools and offices were closed in parts of eastern Taiwan Friday morning in anticipation of torrential rains and powerful winds. Other cities and counties are scheduled to shut down schools and offices beginning Friday evening.
As of 3:00 p.m. Friday, Typhooon Soudelor was centered some 350km east-southeast of Hualien, moving at a speed of 22km per hour in a west-northwesterly direction. The typhoon is expected to make landfall in eastern Taiwan early Saturday.