DEATH TOLL RISES: Super Typhoon Ragasa Brings Destruction to Taiwan and Hong Kong, Leaving 14 Dead and 124 Missing
- At least 14 people have been killed and 124 are missing after a barrier lake in Taiwan burst its banks, sending a wall of water into a nearby community.
- The outer rim of Super Typhoon Ragasa has brought torrential rains to Taiwan, with some areas receiving over 600 millimeters of rain.
- Hong Kong has been battered by hurricane-force winds and heavy downpours, with widespread flooding and damage reported.
Taiwan is reeling after a devastating landslide and flood swept through a community in the eastern part of the island, leaving a trail of destruction and death in its wake. The disaster occurred when a barrier lake in Hualien county overflowed, sending a massive wall of water into the town of Guangfu.
According to the Taiwan fire department, at least 14 people have been killed and 124 are missing, with many more feared trapped in the rubble. The town of Guangfu has been particularly hard hit, with entire villages inundated by the floodwaters.
Wang Tse-an, the chief of the village of Dama, described the scene as “chaotic” and said that many residents were still stranded. “There are mud and rocks everywhere,” he said. “Some flooding has subsided, but some remains.”
The typhoon has also brought widespread disruption to Hong Kong, with hurricane-force winds and heavy downpours causing flooding and damage throughout the city. The Hong Kong Observatory warned of “phenomenal” seas and widespread flooding, with some areas already partially submerged.
The storm is expected to continue moving westwards, with the Japan Meteorological Agency predicting that it will make landfall in China’s Guangdong province later today. The province is home to over 125 million people, and authorities have issued widespread warnings and evacuation orders.
The Chinese national weather agency has warned of rising sea levels and widespread disruption, with over 1 million people already relocated. Schools, factories, and transit services have been suspended in many areas, and residents have been advised to stay indoors.
As the storm continues to wreak havoc, residents in both Taiwan and Hong Kong are bracing themselves for the worst. The full extent of the damage is not yet clear, but it is already evident that Super Typhoon Ragasa will be remembered as one of the most destructive storms of the year.