Taiwan Typhoon Disaster: 14 Dead, 124 Missing After Barrier Lake Floods Hualien
At least 14 people have died and 124 remain missing in Taiwan’s eastern county of Hualien after a barrier lake burst its banks during Typhoon Ragasa, flooding the township of Guangfu, officials said on Wednesday.
The lake, created by landslides triggered by heavy rainfall, overflowed on Tuesday afternoon, sending a powerful surge of water that swept away homes, roads, and a major bridge. Survivors compared the deluge to a “tsunami.”
“It’s chaotic now. The most important task is to get people to safety,” said Wang Tse-an, the chief of Dama village, home to around 1,000 residents, most of whom were stranded.
Chaos in Guangfu
Fire officials confirmed that all the casualties were in Guangfu, where the flooding struck hardest. A local postman, Mr. Hsieh, described escaping to the second floor of the post office just in time, only to later find his car washed into his living room.
About 5,200 residents—roughly 60% of Guangfu’s population—sought shelter on higher floors of their homes, while many others evacuated to stay with relatives, government data showed.
Authorities estimated the barrier lake had contained 91 million tonnes of water, but around 60 million tonnes were released during the overflow—equivalent to 24,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Military Joins Rescue Efforts
Rescue operations are underway, with 340 troops deployed to Hualien. Soldiers in armored personnel carriers distributed food and water while navigating thick mud. However, local officials said resources were insufficient, especially for relocating vulnerable groups.
Hualien councillor Lamen Panay criticized the government’s earlier evacuation guidelines:
“What we were facing wasn’t something ‘vertical evacuation’ could resolve,” she said, referring to advice for residents to move to higher floors.
Wider Impact and Condolences
The typhoon dumped about 70 cm (28 inches) of rain on eastern Taiwan, though the country’s populous west coast—home to its semiconductor industry—was spared.
In a rare move, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office offered condolences over the disaster, despite ongoing political tensions with Taipei.
Hualien, known for its wilderness beauty and indigenous Amis communities, is one of Taiwan’s most popular tourist regions. The scale of destruction recalls the devastation of Typhoon Morakot in 2009, which killed about 700 people and caused $3 billion in damage.
