HONG KONG, Oct. 2 (Xinhuanet) -- Typhoon Longwang lashed Taiwan Sunday morning with torrential rain and gusts up to 227 kilometers per hour as it churned toward China's mainland, according to news reaching here from Taipei.

    At least 34 people were injured, most by broken glass. Longwang, or "Dragon King" in Chinese, made landfall in eastern Hualien at dawn.

    The eye of the storm was almost directly over the center of the island by 8 o'clock this morning as the storm headed west-northwest at 18 kilometers per hour.

    International and domestic flights were grounded and rail services were also canceled. And there was havoc on the roads.

    Hong Kong Cable TV News showed several cars piled on top of each other. The powerful winds shattered glass at hotels and homes, and the tiled roof of an ancient temple collapsed. The typhoon also caused power blackouts to at least half-a-million households, mostly in Hualien. Enditem