Gaemi leaves trail of destruction

Off to safety: Local residents being evacuated during floods after Typhoon Gaemi made landfall in Pintung county, Taiwan. — AP

Typhoon Gaemi swept through northern Taiwan, killing three people, triggering flooding and sinking a freighter before barrelling west across the Taiwan Strait towards China, where it is expected to dump more torrential rain.

Gaemi made landfall around midnight on Wednesday on the northeastern coast of Taiwan in Yilan county. It is the strongest typhoon to hit the island in eight years and was packing gusts of up to 227kph before weakening, according to the Central Weather Administration.