Taiwan Lake Burst Leaves 14 Dead, Hundreds Missing
Tragedy struck eastern Taiwan after Super Typhoon Ragasa unleashed torrential rain, causing a decades-old barrier lake in Hualien County to burst on Tuesday. The sudden collapse washed away the Mataian Bridge and sent a torrent of mud and floodwaters crashing into nearby towns.
“It was like a volcano erupting,” recalled Hsu Cheng-hsiung, a local leader whose home was inundated. “The muddy floodwaters came roaring straight into the first floor.”
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Authorities confirmed at least 14 dead and 18 injured, while the National Fire Agency reported 124 people still missing. Thousands were forced to evacuate as streets flooded, cars submerged, and trees uprooted.
Local resident Yen Shau described the chaos: “An hour before the lake burst, people were still shopping at the supermarket. Minutes later, the water rose halfway up the first floor.”
Rescue teams continue to dig through thick sludge, but the scale of destruction is overwhelming. Across Taiwan, more than 7,600 people have been evacuated, marking one of the island’s worst disasters in recent years.
Taiwan, often battered by tropical storms from July to October, is still reeling from July’s Typhoon Danas, which killed two. Ragasa’s destruction, however, has left an even deeper scar — both in lives lost and communities shattered.
