TAIPEI, Taiwan — A strong typhoon made landfall Taiwan The incident on Thursday killed two people and brought high winds and floods to much of the island’s east coast and northern areas after crossing the northern Philippines.

Flights and train services were stopped in Taiwan and 8,600 people were moved to shelters.

Typhoon Kong-rey was blowing at 184 kilometers per hour (114 miles per hour) with winds of up to 227 km/h (141 mph) as it moved over the eastern county of Taitung. Parts of Yilan and Hualien counties were flooded by heavy rain, but many farmers in largely rural areas had already brought in their crops in anticipation of damage from the storm.

Winds in Kong-rey had weakened to 144 km/h (89 mph) as of Thursday night, according to Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration, and the center of the storm had moved away from the main island. It is expected to move northeast and hit the outlying islands of Taiwan.

Taiwan authorities reported that two people had died and 205 people were injured due to the storm as of Thursday afternoon. One of the deaths occurred when a tree fell on the vehicle. According to the Taiwan Central News Agency, Taipei police reported that another person died after a power pole collapsed.

Authorities also said they were trying to contact a pair of Czech tourists who were hiking in Hualien’s Tarako National Park, famous for its steep cliffs and mountain trails. Other passengers were advised to stay where they were.

The capital, Taipei, was largely closed as it was affected by strong winds and heavy rains. Offices and schools across the island were closed. A tugboat was sent to tow a Chinese-registered cargo ship abandoned by its crew in rough seas off the north coast.

The eye of the typhoon exploded early Thursday about 110 kilometers (68 miles) east of Batanes, the northernmost province of the Philippines, a cluster of islands and islets home to about 19,000 people. Villagers in the northern provinces of the Philippines were evacuated to shelters on Wednesday.

The Philippines weather agency warned that the storm could blow off roofs, shatter windows and cause major damage to farmland, but there were no casualties.

“It’s very, very strong and we haven’t seen the extent of the damage yet because the wind is still very strong outside,” Batanes Governor Marilou Cayco told The Associated Press by cellphone before the line was cut. he said.

Kong-rey, the 12th weather event to hit the Philippine archipelago this year, has lashed the Southeast Asian nation, which is still recovering from last week’s storm that left 179 people dead and missing. Hundreds of thousands of people still in emergency shelters Tropical Storm Trami.

China claims Taiwan as its own territory. regularly sends planes and warships Only eight aircraft were spotted around the island between Wednesday and Thursday, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense, which largely suspended patrols around the island.

___

AP writer Jim Gomez contributed from Manila, Philippines.