Death toll and damages from Sinlaku on the rise

Agricultural damage from the lingering typhoon was also on the rise.

The Central Weather Bureau (CWB) lifted the land warning for Sinkalu at 8:30 p.m., after it dumped an exceptionally high amount of rainfall, wreaking havoc by triggering mudslides, extensive flooding, bridge collapses, and the destruction of more than NT$336 million in farm produce and agricultural infrastructure.

Residents in mountainous areas should still be on guard against landslides, mudslides and falling rocks, bureau officials said.

They warned the public not to head to the mountains in the coming days.

The eight major mountainous regions in Taiwan each reported the accumulation of more than 1,000 millimeters of rainfall between Friday midnight to 8:00 p.m. yesterday.

Mountain areas in central Taichung County logged 1,600 millimeters of rainfall, the most in Taiwan.

Of the five deceased, three were from northern Miaoli County. They included an elderly couple, Liao Ching-kang and Lin Hsi-mei, who were buried when their home in Wujung village, Tahu Township was inundated by mudslides Sunday amid torrential rain, according to the Central Emergency Operations Center.

The third person in Miaoli County confirmed dead during the storm's onslaught was identified as 41-year-old Chen Jung-tang. He was drawn into the sea by strong winds near Tunghsiao Township that same day.

Other victims included Lei Yu-chi, a cable telecommunications engineer from Taichung in central Taiwan whose car plunged into Dajia River when the Houfeng Bridge, which links Houli Township with Fengyuan City in Taichung County, was damaged.

Those still unaccounted for include three people in a taxi that also plunged into Dajia River when the bridge collapsed.

Witnesses said at least three vehicles with six people fell into the river.

The body of Tung Cheng-ping, a 47-year-old patrol guard of Xinyi Township, was recovered after a tunnel in the remote mountainous area of central Nantou County caved in.

The mishap took place while Tung was guiding traffic amid heavy rain at the entrance of Fengchiuming Tunnel.

More than 200 rescue workers continued digging overnight with heavy-duty equipment to reach the site of the cave-in, estimated at 100 meters inside the mouth of the tunnel.

Rescuers said at least eight vehicles were trapped inside. They saved nine injured people from the tunnel as of late last night.

1|2|Next Page>>

PrintEmail

Write a Comment

Terms

Enter your comments - 3000 characters max

Type in image code

Submit

 Receive China Post promos
 Respond to this email