At least 75 people trapped and two missing after floods in eastern Taiwan

At least 75 people were trapped and two are missing this Tuesday in the municipality of Guangfu, in the eastern Taiwanese county of Hualien, after the rise of a natural lake formed in the bed of the Matai’an stream, after the heavy rains caused by the super typhoon Ragasa. According to local authorities, the overflow occurred around 2:50 p.m. local time (06:50 GMT), when the tributary's natural dam gave way and released a large flow of water laden with mud and debris. The flood rapidly inundated the urban center of Guangfu, where several streets were submerged up to the level of the rooftops in some areas. Images released by local media showed residents climbing onto rooftops and vehicles to await rescue as water covered large areas of the municipality. The Hualien Fire Department, cited by Taiwan's CNA agency, indicated that rescue teams from Taipei, New Taipei (north), and Taitung (east) were dispatched to the area to support operations, which were also joined by civilian groups with boats.

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Hours earlier, the Central Emergency Operations Center (CEOC) had warned in a meeting that the natural lake of the stream, located in the neighboring town of Wanrong, could overflow, which led to ordering evacuations, clearing the channel, and reinforcing surveillance. Hualien County is among the most affected by the rains associated with the passage of Super Typhoon Ragasa, which keeps much of southeastern China and Taiwan under alert.