Rescuers battling against the clock

As search and rescue efforts in the wake of Typhoon Toraji passed the critical 72-hour mark yesterday, five more persons previously listed as missing were confirmed as having lost their lives.

The death toll stood at 80 as of press time last night, with 36 injured and 132 listed as missing.

Hualien County on the east coast and Nantou County in central Taiwan bore the brunt of the storm's devastation.

The number of deaths in Hualien increased by one to 28 yesterday, while another 21 remained missing and 15 injured. The county's fire department said it remained impossible to estimate the scale and value of damage, including housing losses, adding that search and rescue efforts remained the highest priority.

Nantou County, hard hit by the 921 earthquake, also suffered badly in the typhoon. The county's death toll remained at 25 yesterday, while 94 were listed as missing and 20 injured. The county government reported that at least 131 houses had been completely destroyed and another 142 partially so.

Some Nantou residents in mountainous areas are coping with a transportation system paralyzed by natural roadblocks of rocks and mud. Some communities have had to rely on satellite telephone for communication with rescuers after terrestrial and mobile telecommunication services broke down.

"Though some residents may be able to escape by themselves if trapped in an isolated area, it is the elderly and the children that concern us most," said a Nantou County fireman from the rescue center.

The county government has sent teams of medical professionals by helicopter to provide roving medical services to stranded communities, a service which is to last for at least a week.

The Nantou County Government has appealed for food, first aid and other vital supplies.

According to the Council of Agriculture (農委會), the 921 earthquake has left the Nantou area prone to mudslides, and that soil instability could last at least a decade.

Hundreds of villagers on Ali Mountain (阿里山) are stranded and must rely on helicopters to supply food and other materials.

As of noon yesterday, 326,120 households throughout Taiwan still awaited reconnection of water supplies, while 8,833 remained without electricity. Telecommunication links remained cut for 17,799 households.Also See Stories:

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