14 killed, 124 missing in Taiwan after barrier lake burst

At least 14 people lost their lives and 18 others were injured after a decades-old barrier lake in eastern Hualien County burst on Tuesday following Super Typhoon Ragasa’s torrential rains, Taiwanese authorities confirmed on Wednesday.

The collapse unleashed a powerful surge of water, mud, and debris that destroyed a bridge over Mataian Creek and inundated nearby Guangfu township, leaving homes and streets buried in thick sludge.

Scenes of Devastation

Footage released by the National Fire Agency showed flooded streets, half-submerged cars, and uprooted trees. Entire neighborhoods were left caked in mud as residents struggled to salvage belongings.

“It was like a volcano erupting… the muddy floodwaters came roaring straight into the first floor of my house,” said Hsu Cheng-hsiung, 55, a neighborhood leader in Guangfu.

Another resident, Yen Shau, 31, recalled the terror as the water levels surged:

“An hour before the lake burst, people were still at the supermarket. Within minutes, the water had risen to halfway up the first floor. The mud was just too deep, too deep to dig out.”

Yen said he could not sleep on Tuesday night, fearing another flood.

Rescue Efforts Underway

According to Hualien County Government spokesperson Lee Kuan-ting, the confirmed death toll stands at 14, while 124 people remain missing. Rescue teams continue to search through the debris, while evacuation centers have been set up for displaced residents.

Authorities said more than 7,600 people across Taiwan were evacuated as Ragasa battered the island with heavy rainfall and strong winds.

Wider Impact of Typhoon Ragasa

The storm not only devastated Taiwan but also impacted the wider region. Before reaching Taiwan, Super Typhoon Ragasa had lashed the northern Philippines, causing mass evacuations, and forced the closure of Hong Kong International Airport for 36 hours.

Taiwan is no stranger to such disasters, with the island experiencing frequent typhoons between July and October each year. Just earlier this summer, Typhoon Danas killed two people and injured hundreds after dumping more than 50 centimeters of rain in southern Taiwan.

A Nation in Mourning

The bursting of the barrier lake has been described by survivors as a “disaster movie” come to life. With dozens missing and entire communities buried in mud, recovery efforts are expected to continue for days.

For many residents of Hualien, the tragedy underscores the growing threat of climate-driven extreme weather and the vulnerability of decades-old infrastructure in the face of increasingly powerful storms.