Taipei [Taiwan], September 25 (ANI): At least 15 people have been killed and approximately 46 injured in Taiwan after Typhoon Ragasa brought torrential rainfall, authorities said, according to local media reports on Thursday.
The tropical cyclone Ragasa formed last week over the Pacific Ocean and rapidly intensified to become a Category 5 super typhoon on Monday, with winds exceeding 260 kph (162 mph). It made landfall in the Philippines on Monday before moving toward Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China. Ragasa was downgraded from a super typhoon to a severe typhoon on Wednesday and moved along the southern Chinese coast toward Vietnam on Thursday.
Taiwan’s National Fire Agency revised the death toll from an earlier report of 17, according to Focus Taiwan. As of Thursday morning, the storm had killed at least 15 people — all in Hualien County — and left 31 missing. Search and rescue operations are ongoing after a barrier lake in the mountains above Guangfu Township burst its banks during heavy rainfall. Two patients reportedly died after being unable to reach medical care due to flooding, while nearly 300 others remain stranded, state media reported.
Meanwhile, the Philippines is bracing for Severe Tropical Storm Bualoi (locally known as Opong), with several airlines cancelling or rescheduling flights, according to the Philippine News Agency (PNA). The Philippines’ weather department reported at 7 a.m. (local time) that Opong was located 365 kilometers east of Guiuan, Eastern Samar, and is expected to directly hit Luzon on September 26.
The country’s Department of Social Welfare and Development has prepositioned standby funds and stockpiles, including 2.5 million family food packs and other non-food items, across all areas.
Philippine authorities confirmed at least nine deaths from Super Typhoon Ragasa since Tuesday, including seven bodies recovered from a capsized fishing vessel off Cagayan. The Philippine Coast Guard said 13 fishermen were on board when their vessel sought shelter from the storm but later capsized after massive waves struck it.
In Guangdong Province, southern China, authorities evacuated more than 2.16 million residents after Typhoon Ragasa made landfall on the coast of Hailing Island at about 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Xinhua reported. Ragasa, the most powerful typhoon to hit China this year, reached sustained wind speeds of 165 mph on Monday, briefly becoming the strongest storm in the world this year. It crossed China with sustained winds of 144 kph and higher gusts.
Hong Kong is slowly returning to normal, with authorities clearing a backlog of about 1,000 flights, although light disruptions continue. Public transport, including metro rail services, and schools were suspended in recent days.
Vietnam’s news agency reported that Ragasa weakened on Thursday morning but continues to pose serious risks for the country’s northern coastal provinces. Wind speeds near the eye reached level 9 (75–88 kph), with gusts up to level 11. Ragasa is forecast to move west at about 20 kph, gradually weakening into a tropical depression within 24 hours, with heavy rain forecast across northern Vietnam. (ANI)
About The Author
