Continuous torrential rains brought by tropical storm Mindulle yesterday caused more devastating damage to the center and south of the country, raising the death toll to 18 with 10 others missing, officials said.
The latest victims were a mother and a son buried alive by landslides at Puli, Nantou County, said the National Fire Agency.
Rescuers found a third victim, who was previously listed as missing, on Penghu.
PHOTO: TUNG CHEN-KUO, TAIPEI TIMES
More damage is expected as weather forecasters said yesterday that the heavy rains might not an end until Wednesday.
According to the Council of Agriculture, initial agricultural losses are estimated at NT$1.85 billion (US$55 million), including loss of crop land worth NT$1.46 billion, NT$65.42 million in animal deaths, NT$224.15 million in fishery losses and NT$91.97 million for forestry losses.
Officials said that about 33,595 hectares of crop fields had been damaged, 1.1 million fowl have died, more than 4,500 hectares of fish farms have been destroyed and nearly 900 hectares of forest has been ruined.
PHOTO: TUNG CHEN-KUO, TAIPEI TIMES
In addition, the council might need to spend about NT$511.27 million reconstructing damaged facilities needed by fishing ports and irrigation systems.
Council officials said Yunlin County has suffered the highest agricultural losses so far -- NT$481.67 billion -- followed by Nantou County with NT$327.32 million and NT$300 million for Hualien County.
Three hydroelectric power plants along the swollen Tachia River have flooded, causing equipment damage estimated at NT$10 billion, the state-run Taiwan Power Co said.
"As the communication with the staff at the power plants was cut off, the extent of the damage was not clear. The cost was calculated for the worst scenario," a Taipower spokes-woman said.
The 0702 Flood Disaster Relief Center led by Minister of Economic Affairs Ho Mei-yueh (
As of yesterday, 81 townships in 12 jurisdictions had been deemed as vulnerable to landslides and mudflows.
"We have suggested that local governments evacuate residents in these danger areas as soon as possible," Ho said.
As of yesterday, the Soil and Water Conservation Bureau had evacuated more than 1,000 residents living in dangerous areas.
After inspecting Nantou County yesterday afternoon, Minister of the Interior Su Jia-chyuan (
In Chiayi County, 62 percent of families in coastal Tungshih township, or roughly 5,400 households, have been inundated by floodwaters since Mindulle struck.
As rains weakened yesterday the Water Resources Agency's mobile pumps helped lower water levels in the township.
However, officials warned that rising waters in Pachang Creek in Chiayi County and the Kaoping River dividing Pingtung and Kaohiung counties have created a dangerous situation and they urged people to avoid river embankments.
The Central Weather Bureau said rainfall amounted to 1,500mm over the past three days, including 694mm in Kaohsiung County and 433mm rain on Alishan yesterday.
Weather forecasters said residents in the center and south should remain alert for more heavy rains today and tomorrow and people in mountainous areas should be on the alert for landslides, mudflows and mountain torrents.
The storm has brought southern Taiwan's worst flooding in 25 years.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators yesterday urged the government to take more precautions to mitigate the possible effects of landslides and mudflows.
"Although the amount of rainfall brought by Mindulle is rare, we still need to make more efforts not only to preserve our soil and land but also ensure residents' safety," DPP legislative caucus whip Tsai Huang-lang (
Mindulle also battered southeastern China yesterday, where a mother and her son drowned after falling out of a boat on a lake in Huzhou city, about 140km southwest of Shanghai, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.
Also see story:
Charities add funds, workers to official typhoon aid efforts
Authorities have detained three former Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TMSC, 台積電) employees on suspicion of compromising classified technology used in making 2-nanometer chips, the Taiwan High Prosecutors’ Office said yesterday. Prosecutors are holding a former TSMC engineer surnamed Chen (陳) and two recently sacked TSMC engineers, including one person surnamed Wu (吳) in detention with restricted communication, following an investigation launched on July 25, a statement said. The announcement came a day after Nikkei Asia reported on the technology theft in an exclusive story, saying TSMC had fired two workers for contravening data rules on advanced chipmaking technology. Two-nanometer wafers are the most
DEFENSE: The first set of three NASAMS that were previously purchased is expected to be delivered by the end of this year and deployed near the capital, sources said Taiwan plans to procure 28 more sets of M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as nine additional sets of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), military sources said yesterday. Taiwan had previously purchased 29 HIMARS launchers from the US and received the first 11 last year. Once the planned purchases are completed and delivered, Taiwan would have 57 sets of HIMARS. The army has also increased the number of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) purchased from 64 to 84, the sources added. Each HIMARS launch pod can carry six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, capable of
Tsunami waves were possible in three areas of Kamchatka in Russia’s Far East, the Russian Ministry for Emergency Services said yesterday after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit the nearby Kuril Islands. “The expected wave heights are low, but you must still move away from the shore,” the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app, after the latest seismic activity in the area. However, the Pacific Tsunami Warning System in Hawaii said there was no tsunami warning after the quake. The Russian tsunami alert was later canceled. Overnight, the Krasheninnikov volcano in Kamchatka erupted for the first time in 600 years, Russia’s RIA
CHINA’s BULLYING: The former British prime minister said that he believes ‘Taiwan can and will’ protect its freedom and democracy, as its people are lovers of liberty Former British prime minister Boris Johnson yesterday said Western nations should have the courage to stand with and deepen their economic partnerships with Taiwan in the face of China’s intensified pressure. He made the remarks at the ninth Ketagalan Forum: 2025 Indo-Pacific Security Dialogue hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prospect Foundation in Taipei. Johnson, who is visiting Taiwan for the first time, said he had seen Taiwan’s coastline on a screen on his indoor bicycle, but wanted to learn more about the nation, including its artificial intelligence (AI) development, the key technology of the 21st century. Calling himself an
RSS