Taipei (EFE).- A natural lake overflowed in Hualien County in eastern Taiwan Tuesday, leading to flash flooding that killed at least 14 people, official disaster response authorities said Wednesday, while multiple others remain missing amid search and rescue efforts.
Heavy rains from super-Typhoon Ragasa caused a natural barrier lake near the Matai’an stream to burst its banks between about 2:50pm and 4:30pm local time, releasing a surge of muddy water and debris that washed into the town of Guangfu. Local fire department officials said many of those killed were elderly residents living on the ground floors of buildings. Several streets in Guangfu were submerged, in some cases up to roof level.
Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration issued its highest alert for “extremely torrential rains” for Hualien and neighboring Taitung counties as Ragasa’s outer bands continue to lash the eastern coast.
Rescuers said they were working to find missing residents; the United Daily News, citing the Hualien Disaster Response Center, reported that as of 7am on Wednesday local time, 14 fatalities had been confirmed, and several people were still unaccounted for.
However, other reporting by Reuters using fire department data put the toll in Hualien at two confirmed dead and about 30 missing, indicating the numbers may still be in flux. EFE
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