HUALIEN: At least 14 people were killed when a decades-old barrier lake burst in eastern Taiwan after Super Typhoon Ragasa deluged the island with torrential rain.
The lake in Hualien county, formed by a series of landslides that created a natural dam wall, burst on Tuesday and sent a torrent of mud and sludge into the surrounding area.
A local bridge was completely washed away as the floodwaters roared straight into the town of Kuang Fu.
Hualien County Government press official Lee Kuan-ting confirmed the death toll of 14 people with a further 18 individuals injured.
Premier Cho Jung-tai visited the disaster area on Wednesday and pledged full government assistance for those affected by the tragedy.
He emphasised the urgent need to investigate why evacuation orders were not properly carried out in the affected area.
The National Fire Agency reported that at least 152 people are currently missing in Hualien and other parts of Taiwan following the disaster.
One local resident described the terrifying event as resembling a scene from a disaster movie.
Many people were still shopping at local stores just an hour before the lake burst without any warning.
Floodwaters rose rapidly to halfway up the first floor of buildings within mere minutes of the barrier failing.
Residents spent a fearful night worrying about further flooding and began the difficult task of shovelling deep mud from their homes on Wednesday.
Official footage released by fire authorities showed completely flooded streets with half-submerged cars and uprooted trees across the affected region.
Typhoon Ragasa forced the evacuation of more than 7,600 people across Taiwan as the storm system moved across the island.
Taiwan regularly experiences tropical storms during the period from July through to October each year.
The island was hit by Typhoon Danas in early July, which killed two people and injured hundreds after dumping more than 50 centimetres of rain. – AFP
