Taiwan: A devastating wall of water, unleashed by a decades-old barrier lake overflowing under the pressure of Super Typhoon Ragasa, has claimed the lives of at least 14 people in eastern Taiwan’s Hualien county. The disaster, which struck on Tuesday afternoon, also left more than 120 people missing as rescue crews scramble to find survivors amidst the destruction. Typhoon Ragasa is now moving toward southern China and Hong Kong. Hualien alone has recorded about 70 cm (28 inches) of rainfall.
Government figures show that about 60 per cent of the town’s 8,500 residents stayed in the upper floors of their homes in a “vertical evacuation.” Most of the others left the area to stay with relatives.
The lake contained nearly 91 million tonnes of water, equal to 36,000 Olympic-sized pools, and about 60 million tonnes surged out when it overflowed, Reuters reported, citing officials.
According to a Hualien County Government official, 14 deaths have been confirmed, with 18 people reported injured. The initial figure of 30 missing has been revised to 124 by the National Fire Agency, with search and rescue operations ongoing. Video footage released by authorities depicts a scene of chaos, with roads turned into raging rivers, half-submerged cars, and uprooted trees.
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