Death toll rises in Taiwan after Super Typhoon Ragasa bursts landslide lake
Island’s leader is staring at another political crisis as opposition lawmakers say warnings about the lake’s danger were ignored
At least 17 people died when the typhoon burst the banks of a mountain lake formed by a landslide two months ago, tearing through Guangfu township in Hualien county on Tuesday.
The deluge has not only devastated entire neighbourhoods in Guangfu, it threatens to become a political issue for the administration of Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te, with residents and legislators saying warnings about the danger were ignored.
14 dead, over 100 missing in Taiwan from Super Typhoon Ragasa
By Wednesday evening, 17 people remained missing in the mire. The water had receded from the town centre, but homes and streets remained buried under mud, rocks and debris, according to the county fire department.
As residents surveyed the aftermath, anger mounted at what many described as an avoidable disaster. “This is man-made,” one resident wrote online. “They never dealt with the landslide dam. We will demand national compensation.”
The lake had formed upstream of the Mataian River in July when a landslide blocked water flows.