Super Typhoon Devastation in Hualien, Taiwan: 14 Dead, 129 Missing After Barrier Lake Bursts

Super Typhoon Devastation in Hualien, Taiwan: 14 Dead, 129 Missing After Barrier Lake Bursts

HUALIEN, Taiwan — A sudden wall of water swept through the quiet township of Guangfu in Hualien County on Tuesday, 14 people have died in Taiwan’s popular tourist hub in the eastern county of Hualien, with 129 missing after Barrier Lake in the mountains overflowed to deluge a town during a typhoon, the fire said on Wednesday.

Taiwan has been lashed since Monday by the outer rim of Super Typhoon Ragasa, now hitting China’s southern caost and the Asian financial hub of Hong Kong.

What Happened?

• Typhoon Ragasa, now battering southern China and Hong Kong, brought relentless rains to Taiwan’s eastern mountains.
• A barrier lake, created by earlier landslides, suddenly burst its banks, releasing an estimated 60 million tonnes of water into Guangfu.
• The flood hit with tsunami-like force, submerging homes, sweeping away a key road bridge, and cutting off villages.

“It hit like a tsunami,” said local postman Hsieh Chien-tung, who barely escaped to the second floor of his post office. “When I got home, my car was in the living room.”

The Aftermath

• All the fatalities and missing persons are from Guangfu.
• The village of Dama (pop. ~1,000) was completely flooded, with many residents still trapped.
• Police sirens on Wednesday signaled new flood warnings, causing panic and renewed evacuations.
• 5,200 people — around 60% of Guangfu’s population — sheltered on upper floors of their homes.

“It’s chaotic now,” said Wang Tse-an, village chief of Dama. “We need to get people to safety. Supplies can’t get through.”

Emergency Response

• 340 soldiers have been deployed.
• Troops are operating from armoured vehicles to navigate mud-covered streets.
• Rescue teams are delivering water and food door-to-door.

However, officials and locals expressed frustration at limited evacuation efforts before the flood.

“What we faced wasn’t something ‘vertical evacuation’ could resolve,” said Lamen Panay, a local councillor, criticizing non-mandatory evacuation orders.

A Record of Rain

• The typhoon dumped nearly 70 cm (28 inches) of rain in eastern Taiwan.
• The barrier lake had originally held about 91 million tones of water, roughly the size of a major reservoir.

Unusual Gesture from Beijing

In a rare moment of solidarity, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office expressed condolences, despite ongoing political tensions between Beijing and Taipei.

 Background: Why It Matters

• Hualien is a beloved tourist destination, known for its natural beauty and indigenous communities, including the Amis people.
• Taiwan’s mountainous east is prone to landslides during typhoons.
• The disaster recalls the 2009 Typhoon Morakot, which killed 700 people and caused $3 billion in damage.

Summary: