TAIPEI - One person was killed early Saturday and seven were injured as Typhoon Soulik slammed into Taiwan, pounding the island with powerful winds and heavy rain, officials said.
In the capital Taipei, a 50-year-old police officer died after he was hit in the head by a brick that came loose during the typhoon, the Central Emergency Operation Centre said. Seven people were injured in Taipei, mostly by falling objects.
Local media reported that the officer had been riding a motorcycle home after work and died on the spot around 02:40 am (02:40 am local time).
Thousands were evacuated and the entire island declared an "alert zone" in anticipation of Soulik, which made landfall in the early hours of Saturday morning.
