Taipei [Taiwan], September 24: Fourteen people have died in Hualien County, eastern Taiwan, after a mountain reservoir overflowed, sending a torrent of water rushing into the town during super typhoon Ragasa.
The Ma Tai'an Reservoir, formed by landslides from previous heavy rains in a sparsely populated area of eastern Taiwan , overflowed on the afternoon of September 23, sending floodwaters into the town of Guangfu below, Reuters reported on September 24.
By the evening of September 23, local authorities reported two dead and 30 missing. By 7 a.m. on September 24, the Hualien County government reported 14 dead and 18 injured. Spokesperson Lee Kuan-ting said the number of missing was announced by the Fire Department last night and rescue teams were still searching.
In an update on the morning of September 24, the fire department said 124 people were still missing in Hualien, according to Reuters.
Since September 22, Taiwan has been hit by the outer edge of Super Typhoon Ragasa , which is moving towards the southern coast of China and the financial hub of Hong Kong. Taiwan has recorded 70 cm of rain in the east due to the impact of the super typhoon.
Authorities said the reservoir normally holds about 91 million tons of water, enough to fill about 36,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. In the Sept. 23 incident, about 60 million tons of water spilled out.
Floodwaters rushed into Ma Thai An Bridge, causing it to collapse. Residents in the area rushed to higher ground, climbing on electric poles and roofs as the floodwaters rose rapidly. Quang Phuc Town has about 8,500 residents and about 5,200 people have evacuated in place, meaning they have climbed to higher floors. Most of the remaining people have left the area to go to relatives' homes.
According to CNA, videos recorded by residents showed a woman hugging an electric pole in floodwaters while others climbed onto the roofs of flooded houses. Several vehicles, including military trucks, were swept away on one road. Quang Phuc station and nearby railway lines were flooded, disrupting rail operations.
Rescue forces from many other localities have been dispatched to assist. Nearly 10,000 Hualien residents have been evacuated as of the afternoon of September 23.
Super Typhoon Ragasa , the world's strongest tropical cyclone this year, is battering Hong Kong with powerful winds and torrential rain, forcing the city to shut down and canceling more than 700 flights.
With winds of up to 200 km/h, super typhoon Ragasa will make its closest approach to the city in the next few hours, about 100 km south of the densely populated area, according to Reuters.
The super typhoon is expected to maintain its intensity as it moves closer to the coast of southern China's Guangdong province, home to more than 125 million people, and is expected to make landfall between midday and late on September 24.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
