Super Typhoon Ragasa kills 14 in Taiwan

Taiwanese authorities accidental 124 radical are missing aft obstruction water burst its banks successful agrarian township.

Fourteen radical person been killed and 124 are missing successful eastbound Taiwan aft a obstruction water burst its banks amid dense rains brought connected by Super Typhoon Ragasa.

Most of the dormant were aged radical who were incapable to flight the rising floodwaters from Matai’an Creek Barrier Lake successful Guangfu Township, Hualien County, the Hualien County Fire Department said connected Wednesday.

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Thirty-four radical were injured, with rescue operations for the missing nether way, the occurrence section said.

Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) reported that the lake, which was formed by debris dislodged by erstwhile rains, overflowed connected Tuesday morning, followed by a overmuch larger surge successful floodwater astatine astir 4:30pm section clip (08:30 GMT).

Video footage shared by Taiwanese media showed fast-moving waters surging done Guangfu Township, dragging vehicles and destroying a bridge.

The CNA reported that galore radical took structure connected their roofs until floodwaters receded, leaving mud and debris successful their wake.

Part of the span implicit Matai’an Creek lies destroyed aft a obstruction water burst successful Hualien connected September 24, 2025 [CNA/AFP]

Super Typhoon Ragasa earlier this week swept Taiwan and its outlying islands with dense winds and rainfall arsenic it moved south.

Some parts of Hualien County connected Taiwan’s rugged eastbound seashore received upwards of 700mm of rainfall, portion towns successful the southbound and eastbound were deed by 500-600mm of rain, according to the CNA.

Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te said successful a Facebook station precocious connected Tuesday that each authorities ministries and the subject had been mobilised to assistance with the exigency effect and catastrophe cleanup.

“Everyone indispensable stay vigilant. All frontline catastrophe effect unit are urged to enactment their ain information archetypal portion carrying retired their duties,” Lai said.

As of Wednesday morning, much than 160 flights astatine Taiwan’s Taoyuan planetary airdrome were cancelled, portion obstruction lines and ferry services were suspended successful immoderate areas.

The bulk of cancelled flights were short-haul hops to oregon from Hong Kong and Macau, which began shutting down connected Tuesday successful anticipation of the typhoon.

A taxi drives done a flooded country successful Heng Fa Chuen, Hong Kong connected September 24, 2025 [Leung Man Hei/AFP]

Hong Kong’s upwind authorities issued their highest typhoon informing of “T10” connected Wednesday and warned of imaginable landslides arsenic the tempest passed 150km (93 miles) southwest of the Chinese territory.

The Hong Kong Observatory reported maximum “sustained” winds of 112-153 km/h (70-95 mph) and maximum gusts exceeding 184 km/h (114 mph) connected Wednesday morning, but said the tempest was departing arsenic of 11am section clip (03:00 GMT).

The HKO said that typhoon warnings would stay successful spot arsenic the effects of the tempest were inactive being felt.

“Members of the nationalist should beryllium connected precocious alert and beware of destructive winds. Local upwind volition beryllium persistently adverse today, with predominant dense squally showers and thunderstorms,” the observatory said.

“Seas volition beryllium phenomenal with swells.”

Hong Kong Free Press reported that much than 700 flights would beryllium grounded owed to the typhoon.

The confederate Chinese state of Guangdong has meantime relocated much than 1 cardinal radical successful mentation for the tempest to deed connected Wednesday afternoon, according to China’s Xinhua News Agency.