In recent days, the super typhoon “Ragasa” devastated the eastern coast of Taiwan, leading to a major disaster in Hualien County as the Matian River overflowed its dam. According to the latest information from Taiwan’s Disaster Response Center, as of 5 p.m. on the 24th (Wednesday), this catastrophe has resulted in 17 deaths, 32 injuries, and 17 missing persons in Taiwan. The search and rescue operations are still ongoing.
Reports from various media outlets indicated that the outer circulation of Typhoon “Ragasa” began affecting Taiwan on the morning of the 22nd (Monday), bringing heavy rainfall to areas such as Hualien and Taitung. As a result, the reservoir upstream of the Matian River in Guangfu Township, Hualien, overflowed on the afternoon of the 23rd, causing massive floods that destroyed the Matian Bridge and resulted in severe damages in Guangfu Township, Fenglin Town, and Wanrong Township.
Official data shows that approximately 60 million tons of water were released from the reservoir, with an estimated full capacity of 91 million tons, enough to fill 36,000 Olympic standard swimming pools.
The Hualien County Fire Department stated that the Dunhou Road and Fozu Street in Guangfu Township were the areas with the highest number of casualties, predominantly among the elderly. Many of the locations where casualties occurred were on the ground floor, indicating that the victims may have tragically lost their lives due to not being able to evacuate in time.
Rescue teams from various parts of Taiwan have rushed to Hualien for assistance, with the military dispatching 340 soldiers to provide aid. Armored vehicles are being used to distribute food, drinking water, and other supplies to the affected residents.