Two dead as Typhoon Nepartak strikes Taiwan

Severe rain and wind brought by super Typhoon Nepartak killed at least three people and injured more than 140 in Taiwan, authorities say.

The storm made landfall in the southeastern county of Taitung at 5.50am (0750 AEST) on Friday.

One unidentified man died after being swept off a beach in the eastern county of Hualien late Thursday.

A soldier on an island in the Taiwan Strait fell into the sea while fishing. His body was found early Friday.

A 71-year-old woman, in Taitung, died when she was struck by a falling cabinet, officials said.

At least 142 people in the eastern and southern regions were hit by falling trees or injured by glass, an official at the Central Emergency Operation Centre said.

More than 510,000 families were left without electricity and 24,200 families were left without tap water.

"In many places, the water supply systems cannot function due to the lack of power supply," said Li Wei-sen, an official of the centre.

Authorities issued landslide warnings for more than 700 mountainous areas due to rising river levels. More than 15,000 residents were evacuated.

Winds gusting to more than 200km per hour were detected by weather stations, the Central Weather Bureau said.

Local TV news images showed winds flipping over cars and breaking windows in Taitung City.

On Friday, Taiwan Railways suspended some services, including the high-speed trains. More than 300 international flights were also cancelled, authorities said.

Taiwan's agriculture sector suffered an estimated 664 million Taiwanese dollars (20.5 million US dollars) in losses, according to the Council of Agriculture late Friday.

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