TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Typhoon Krathon (颱風山陀兒) continues to move slowly, prompting Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) to visit the Central Emergency Operations Center (中央災害應變中心) on Wednesday (Oct. 2), urging relevant agencies to maintain stable operations of essential infrastructure, monitor warning information, and manage evacuation procedures.
More importantly, he advised the public to stay indoors unless necessary.
Cho attended the 10th emergency meeting in the morning, connecting via video with response centers in Pingtung County, Kaohsiung City, and Tainan City. Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) reported that they completed the evacuation of 1,690 residents and chronic patients two days ago and expanded the evacuation area last night, totaling 2,670 people evacuated by today.
Cho praised Kaohsiung City for its precise evacuation numbers and effective work. As of 8 a.m., the National Fire Agency (消防署) reported 247 incidents nationwide, 46 of which resulted in injuries and one missing person. Yunlin County Fire Department received a report of a person falling into the sea at Menghuan Beach (夢幻沙灘) in Taixi Township yesterday afternoon, and search efforts continue.
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC, 交通部) announced they had issued preemptive closure of 13 highways in eastern and southern Taiwan. Landslides have also caused the suspension of TRA services on several lines. Meanwhile, all 19 crew members of the Barbados-registered bulk carrier BLUE LAGOON have been rescued after the vessel started taking on water.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA, 經濟部) reported that the Pingtung Fangliao seawall is under emergency repair with no current threat to public safety. They added that power outages had affected 16,128 households, of which only two are still without power.
The Ministry of Agriculture (MOA, 農業部) also noted a decrease in trading volume and prices at the First Fruit and Vegetable Wholesale Market (台北果菜批發市場) due to closed floodgates. Cho emphasized the typhoon's slow movement and rare southern landfall, extending potential damage time.
He called for heightened vigilance in southern and eastern regions and adherence to President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) disaster response principles. He also urged the MOTC and the Ocean Affairs Council to prepare for potential oil pollution from a grounded cargo ship near Lanyu.