3 killed in Taiwan floods

Three people were killed in Taiwan by floods due to rain from Tropical Storm Kong-Rey, and thousands have been evacuated, dpa quoted officials as saying Friday. A 20-year-old man was killed when the scooter he was riding fell into an irrigation channel in the southern county of Pingtung, while a 50-year-old women was electrocuted, and a 58-year-old woman was found dead near a landfill site, both in the western county of Yunlin, the Central Emergency Operation Centre said early Friday. The deaths occurred Thursday, it said. A total of 3,645 residents of low-lying areas of central and southern Taiwan evacuated amid flash floods late Thursday, the centre said. Residents interviewed by local TV networks blamed inefficient drainage and flood control measures. More than 1,600 soldiers were deployed Friday to help clean up affected areas. More than 40,000 train passengers were stranded after railway services were suspended Thursday and several stations inundated. The Central Weather Bureau late Thursday lifted the land and sea warnings for Kong-Rey, but predicted heavy rain would continue in the centre and the south until Saturday.