Rescue workers yesterday battled through thick mud looking for eight people still missing after a lake overflow caused by Super Typhoon Ragasa on Tuesday sent a wall of water into Guangfu Township (光復) in Hualien County.
The number of people killed in the flooding rose by one to 15, the National Fire Agency said, after the body of a man recovered after the overflow of the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) barrier lake was confirmed to be that of a neighborhood warden surnamed Chen (陳), whose identity had previously been unconfirmed.
Three additional bodies remained trapped under mud or debris at the disaster site and have not yet been included in the official toll.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
The count of 11 missing from yesterday morning was revised down to eight by 6pm, after police were able to contact three of the missing people.
Chen’s family identified him through his clothing and physical features after the body was taken to a temporary command post in Rueisuei Township (瑞穗), where prosecutors and forensic examiners were conducting autopsies.
Chen, who lived alone, was known for his generosity and had long served as warden of Fourth Neighborhood in Datong Village (大同), his son said.
Photo: Maxar Technologies via Reuters
He said his father had asked a neighbor, surnamed Yu (游), to drive him to inspect the flood zone, but their vehicle was swept away on Fozu Street.
Yu escaped by clinging to the branch of a tree, while Chen was carried off by the surging water.
“His concern was always for the safety of the community,” Chen’s son said. “He wanted to check if evacuations were necessary, but the water came too fast for him to escape.”
Photo: Maxar Technologies via Reuters
The government on Thursday opened a dedicated account for accepting relief donations, which in only one day had already collected NT$110.6 million (US$3.62 million) from 49,614 separate donors, the Executive Yuan said.
Donations can be made at all major convenience stores and LinePay, or to Land Bank of Taiwan Changchuen Branch account No. 102-005-201-966.
Overseas donations can be made to the same account using SWIFT code LBOTTWTP102.
While the waters have receded, large parts of the area remain covered in dark gray mud, creating problems for residents and rescuers alike.
Rescue workers, sometimes wading in mud up to their waists, have been cutting holes in the roofs of buildings to check for missing people.
A man who gave his family name as Hwang (黃) said he was still looking for the body of his elder sister.
“She died in the house because it was completely filled with mud and there was no way to get her out,” he said.
Some elderly people died after they were unable to follow government orders and move upstairs out of the way.
Compounding the complexity of the rescue effort was the continuous flow of water into the town, more pronounced in low-lying areas such as Fozu Street.
Liu Chung-hsien (劉宗憲), an official with the Agency of Rural Development and Soil and Water Conservation, said the barrier lake was still overflowing, so the government had not lifted the alert.
“About 12 percent of the water is still left in the lake,” he said.
Taiwanese disaster expert Lu Jing-chien (盧鏡臣) said the floodwaters were unusual for Taiwan, in that they carried so much sediment.
“Perhaps they did not expect that the water would carry such a high sediment load with sand and mud, and come so quickly and forcefully,” said Lu, an associate professor of disaster management at Central Police University.
The government has ruled out using explosives to break through the bank holding up the water, fearing it could bring more landslides and worsen the situation.
Additional reporting by Chung Li-hua
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