Typhoon Champi has killed one person and injured at least 94 others as it neared Taiwan, leading to the cancellation of 977 flights and the suspension of dozens of ferry services.

The death occurred Thursday in Liuqiu Township, Pingtung County, when a man was swept away by storm-driven waves on a beach. Rescuers recovered the body without vital signs, and he was pronounced dead at a hospital. The Central Emergency Operations Center reported the casualty figures as of early Friday morning, along with 1,286 evacuations from landslide-prone areas nationwide.

As of 11 a.m. Friday, the typhoon was centered about 260 kilometers southeast of Yilan County, moving north-northeast at 11 to 15 kilometers per hour. It carried maximum sustained winds of 155 kilometers per hour and gusts up to 191 kilometers per hour, with gale-force winds extending 320 kilometers from the center. The Central Weather Administration said the storm's outer bands had enveloped the island, with the closest approach expected between Friday night and early Saturday morning.

Authorities canceled 262 domestic flights and 715 international and cross-strait flights between Thursday and 10 a.m. Friday. Taoyuan International Airport alone saw 596 cancellations. Ferries on 10 routes were suspended, affecting 96 sailings. Schools and government offices closed across most of the country for Friday, with many areas extending closures into Saturday.

The typhoon, which peaked earlier in the week as one of 2026's strongest storms, has weakened but continues to threaten heavy rain and strong winds, particularly in northern and northeastern Taiwan. Officials urged residents in exposed coastal and mountainous areas to remain vigilant.

Taiwan's financial markets also closed for the day. The storm is forecast to pass east of the island and weaken further before moving toward Japan later in the weekend.