Over 140 flights canceled in Taiwan due to typhoon

By Mahmut Atanur

BEIJING (AA) – More than 140 flights have been canceled in Taiwan due to strong winds from a typhoon that struck after a previous storm left at least 29 people dead on the island and mainland China.

Taiwan’s official Central News Agency reported Sunday that the Central Weather Bureau has issued a heavy rain advisory for some parts of the island, warning of mud- and rock-slides in mountainous regions as well as flooding in low-lying areas.

According to the Civil Aeronautics Administration, 143 domestic flights were canceled due to Typhoon Malakas, which was located around 290 kilometers (180 miles) off Taipei's northeast Sunday morning heading toward Japan.

Meanwhile, the firm that operates Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport said 68 flights were canceled or delayed, affecting around 12,800 passengers as of Saturday afternoon.

Malakas hit the region a few days after Typhoon Meranti swept through the Bashi Channel south of Taiwan before making landfall in the coastal city of Xiamen on China’s mainland.

Meranti left 28 people dead in the provinces of Fujian and Zhejiang, and killed one in Taiwan.

In July, a typhoon that was downgraded to a tropical storm before hitting the mainland left at least 83 people dead in Fujian.