Heavy rains wreak havoc in Taiwan

TAIPEI, Aug 05 (Reuters): Intense rains in the wake of Typhoon Khanun lashed the mountainous parts of Taiwan on Saturday, unleashing floods and landslides that blocked roads and stranded hundreds of people as authorities rushed to resume transportation links.

Rains have pounded the central county of Nantou since Typhoon Khanun brushed past northern Taiwan on Thursday, with more than 1 m (3 feet) of precipitation soaking Renai Township since then, shattering roads and triggering landslides and mudslides.

Local news footage showed a petrol station in Renai buried by landslides, while a motorway nearby was flooded, cutting the key transportation link in the mountainous area.

Across Taiwan, two people were missing and more than 460 stranded, mostly in remote mountainous areas, the government said, adding no casualties had been reported.

Hsu Shu-Hua, the head of Nantou County, said some people were stranded on the mountains.