Fourteen people have been killed and 124 are missing in eastern Taiwan after a barrier lake burst its banks amid heavy rains brought on by Super Typhoon Ragasa.
Most of the dead were elderly people who were unable to escape the rising floodwaters from Matai’an Creek Barrier Lake in Guangfu Township, Hualien County, the Hualien County Fire Department said on Wednesday.
Thirty-four people were injured, with rescue operations for the missing under way, the fire department said.
Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) reported that the lake, which was formed by debris dislodged by previous rains, overflowed on Tuesday morning, followed by a much larger surge in floodwater at about 4:30pm local time (08:30 GMT).
Video footage shared by Taiwanese media showed fast-moving waters surging through Guangfu Township, dragging vehicles and destroying a bridge.
The CNA reported that many people took shelter on their roofs until floodwaters receded, leaving mud and debris in their wake.
Super Typhoon Ragasa earlier this week swept Taiwan and its outlying islands with heavy winds and rain as it moved south.
Some parts of Hualien County on Taiwan’s rugged east coast received upwards of 700mm of rainfall, while towns in the south and east were hit by 500-600mm of rain, according to the CNA.
Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te said in a Facebook post late on Tuesday that all government ministries and the military had been mobilised to help with the emergency response and disaster cleanup.
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