Life returning to normal after typhoon wreaks havoc in Taiwan

By Serdar Dincel

ISTANBUL (AA) - Workers and students returned to their daily lives on Friday across Taiwan and its outlying islands after Typhoon Krathon hit the island nation hard.

Classes and work are set to resume except in the country's southern Kaohsiung, Pingtung County, and parts of Hualien County and New Taipei, Focus Taiwan reported, citing local governments.

In Kaohsiung and Pingtung, the two areas most affected by strong winds and heavy rain, local governments announced late Thursday that schools and offices will remain closed for a fourth consecutive day on Friday.

Similar announcements were made for New Taipei's Ruifang district and two areas in Hualien's Xiulin Township, specifically Heping Village and the Tienhsiang Recreation Area, which will remain closed on Friday.

In the rest of the country, work and classes will resume on Friday, as authorities said Krathon was weakening and its impact diminishing, according to the latest data from the Central Weather Administration.

Krathon killed two people and injured more than 100, local media reported Thursday.

The typhoon brought heavy winds and rain, forcing authorities to close schools and offices in all cities and counties for a second consecutive day on Thursday.