The body of a woman was found in a vehicle near a quarry in Hualien County's Guangfu Township (光復) 14 days after the town was hit by severe flooding caused by a breach in the Mataian River (馬太鞍) barrier lake on Sept. 23, bringing the death toll from the disaster to 19.
Chien Hung-cheng (簡弘丞), commander of the Hualien County Fire Department Urban Search and Rescue team, said that the badly bent vehicle was found buried in about one story of mud and debris.
The deceased is believed to be the missing owner of a quarry site, Chien said, adding that the car was registered in her name.
Photo courtesy of the Hualien County Fire Department
Chien said that local police and firefighters have dispatched machinery to excavate the vehicle and recover the body inside, with the quarry site deploying four excavators to assist the effort.
The identity of the body would be confirmed after it is recovered from the vehicle, he said.
The barrier lake breach flood had claimed 18 lives and left six missing as of yesterday.
Meanwhile, Central Emergency Operation Center chief coordinator Chi Lien-cheng (季連成) said that starting today, military personnel and equipment would transfer to Fozu Street.
Mud and debris on roads and in homes have been nearly entirely cleared, with the remaining refuse mostly in ditches, Chi said.
About one-third of ditches in impacted urban areas have been cleared already, with completion expected between Friday and Wednesday next week, he said.
Household water and electricity has been restored, he added.
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