Marine warning for Typhoon Chanthu issued: land warning expected tomorrow

typhoon chanthu marine warning
Typhoon 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau has issued a marine warning for the Bashi Channel and surrounding waters as super Typhoon Chanthu approaches from the southeast this morning, Friday, September 10. Chanthu quickly morphed from a tropical depression earlier this week into a category 5 tropical storm over a period of just two days, making the 14th named tropical storm of the 2021 typhoon season the strongest to form in the northwest Pacific so far this year. Chanthu is expected to affect

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400 residents of building ordered into compulsory quarantine

residents board buses for compulsory quarantine
Society 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Around 400 residents of a building in Banqiao District were suddenly ordered into quarantine facilities this morning as authorities escalate their response to a cluster of cases testing positive for COVID-19 at a nearby kindergarten. The building is one of two forming a gated community that share an outdoor entrance and exit. The 905 residents from 209 households in the two buildings were tested for COVID-19 yesterday. Six people, all residents of building B, returned positive results. New Taipei City

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Two trapped by rising river airlifted to safety in Taichung City

people trapped on sandbar in Dajia River Taichung City
Weather 
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Two people were rescued by helicopter after becoming trapped on a sandbar when the water level of Dajia River in Taichung City suddenly rose due to heavy rain upstream. Taichung City Fire Department received reports that two people fishing in the Dajia River in Shigang District were trapped by rising water shortly after 3:00 pm. The Fire Department dispatched five fire trucks, one ambulance, an inflatable boat, and 10 personnel to conduct rescue operations. At around 4:00 pm the National

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China tests “underwater helicopter” prototype autonomous submersible vehicle in South China Sea

underwater helicopter raised onto deck during sea trials
Regional 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Chinese researchers have successfully tested a new type of autonomous unmanned submersible vehicle they have dubbed an “underwater helicopter” according to Chinese media outlets today, September 6. Reports say that tests carried out in the South China Sea successfully trialed take offs, landings, docking on a submarine apron, 360-degree steering, fixed-point hovering, wireless charging, acoustic navigation and tracking, and other functions of the vehicle. The project partners include Zhejiang University, Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy

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Chinese fishing boat fitted with anti-boarding spikes fails to evade Taiwan coast guard

anti-boarding spikes on Chinese fishing boat
Marine and Fisheries 
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Taiwan’s Coast Guard intercepted a Chinese fishing vessel operating illegally in waters near the Penghu Islands yesterday, and the boat was fitted with spikes designed to prevent boarding. Coast guard patrol boat #5053 was dispatched at 5:00 am, September 5, after a suspicious vessel was detected on radar. The crew of the patrol boat intercepted the Chinese-registered fishing boat 22.4 nautical miles southwest of Hua Islet. When the coast guard approached the vessel, it was noticed that three long steel

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Crane collapse at Port of Taichung leaves one dead, one injured

crane collapsed at Port of Taichung
Health and Safety 
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One worker died, and another was injured after a 350 ton crane collapsed at the Port of Taichung this morning, September 5. Port authorities said that subcontractors to Evergreen International Storage and Transportation Company were working on a project to dismantle old bridge cranes when the mobile crane collapsed while lifting a girder. The mobile crane collapsed onto a container crane of China Container Company working on Pier 31. The container crane operator, a 51-year-old man named Liu, was seriously

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Freeway guardrail damaged in Ferrari crash

Ferrari 488 crash
Traffic Accidents 
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A guardrail on National Freeway 3 will be repaired, but the red Ferrari 488 that crashed into it will be sold as scrap metal after the driver lost control of the vehicle in Kaohsiung City yesterday, September 5. The 42-year-old driver, named Chiu hit the central traffic divider while driving in the fast lane, before veering into the outer guardrail at the 383.3 kilometer mark in Yanchao District at 6:10 am, according to dashcam video of the accident. Fortunately, Mr

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Elderly woman attacked by giant hornets while trapped on narrow ledge 7 floors up

elderly woman stuck on ledge on edge of building
Health and Safety 
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An elderly woman in Yilan City accidentally locked herself out while hanging clothes outside a 7th-floor window, then got stuck on a narrow ledge and was attacked by a swarm of Asian giant hornets, today, September 5. The 80-year-old woman named Wang was trying to climb back into her apartment through a window when she accidentally touched an Asian giant hornet nest and was stung all over her body. Neighbors were alerted by Wang’s cries for help, and called 119

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Fishermen net giant sunfish off west coast

giant ocean sunfish Chiayi fisheries
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Fishermen from Chiayi County accidentally caught a rare ocean sunfish off the coast of Dongshi Township, and it was displayed and auctioned at the Dongshi Fish Market this morning. The fish weighed in at 180 kilograms and fetched NT$20,000 at auction. Seafood merchants noted that the fish is popular among seafood gourmets, with its intestines – known as “dragon intestines, being the most valued part. Wu Chunyu of the Chiayi District Fisheries Association pointed out that sunfish often appear in

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Woman suspected of falling into 200-meter-deep ravine found safe 4km away

fire bureau search and rescue personnel Taipei-Yilan Highway
Traffic Accidents 
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A search for a scooter rider suspected to have fallen into a 200-meter-deep valley after a crash on the Taipei-Yilan Highway last night ended when the woman was found in Hsintien District today, September 4. Search and rescue personnel began a search for the 44-year-old woman, named Liao, after a scooter was found crashed against a guardrail at the 15.7 kilometer mark of the highway shortly after midnight. Firefighters found the woman’s slippers scattered on the road, a helmet in

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Cops mull fine after cyclist hits 130 kph on jet-powered bicycle in Tainan City

jet powered bicycle
Society 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A resident of Tainan City fitted a bicycle with a jet engine, and received a visit from police after a video of him reaching 130 kilometers per hour on the improvised vehicle spread on social media. Mr Wang said that it was his childhood dream to have a remote controlled aircraft, but he didn’t have the financial resources until he grew up. Recently, he came up with the idea of installing a remote control model aircraft jet engine on a

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