HUALIEN, Taiwan — Taiwan’s fire department on Thursday revised down to 14 the death toll from a typhoon this week on its remote east coast, as rescuers continued to search for 33 people still missing amid thick, black mud and scenes of devastation.
The deaths happened after Super Typhoon Ragasa’s outer bands brought heavy rain to Hualien county, causing a barrier lake in the mountains to overflow and unleash a wall of water onto the small town of Guangfu.
Having said the previous day that 17 had died, the fire department adjusted that to 14, saying some casualties had been counted twice.
It put the new number of missing at 33, a figure that had hit 152 on Wednesday, as the government searches for people reported out of contact.
In downtown Guangfu, residents and rescuers, including soldiers, used shovels, buckets and diggers to remove the mud and stones carried by the floodwaters.
“It’s too risky to return home now. We must make sure people are aware of the potential danger, especially the elderly,” said Esther Chen, 26, who was volunteering for relief efforts.
Taiwan Premier Cho Jung-tai said the deaths, which mostly happened on the first floors of buildings, must be investigated and that authorities must “seize the golden rescue window” to find the missing.
While Guangfu’s train station is back in operation, the main highway has been cut off after the floodwaters swept away the bridge.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te on Wednesday pledged a month of his salary to relief efforts for displaced residents, and was set to visit the disaster zone later on Thursday.
While it has stopped raining, the government has maintained its warnings for the barrier dam in a remote mountain area behind Guangfu.
Agriculture Minister Chen Junne-jih told reporters in Taipei that blowing up the bank holding back the lake with explosives was too dangerous given it could exacerbate the problem with more landslides.