Taiwan has revised the death toll from Typhoon Ragasa down to 14, as the weakened storm moves through China and heads toward Vietnam. Officials reported that some casualties had been counted twice, while the number of missing people dropped from 152 to 33 as rescue operations continued.
The fatalities occurred mostly on the first floors of buildings in Hualien County, where heavy rainfall caused a barrier lake to overflow, devastating the town of Guangfu. Taiwan Premier Cho Jung-tai emphasized the need to investigate the deaths and urged authorities to “seize the golden rescue window” to locate the missing. Floodwaters swept away a bridge, cutting off the main highway, although Guangfu’s train station has resumed operations.
Taiwan President William Lai Ching-te pledged a month of his salary to aid relief efforts and planned to visit the disaster zone.
After passing Hong Kong, Ragasa made landfall in China’s Guangdong province with winds reaching 145 km/h (90 mph), causing fallen trees, debris, and road damage in cities like Yangjiang. Tens of millions were affected as schools and businesses shut down, and 2.2 million people were relocated. Chinese authorities allocated approximately $49 million for rescue and relief operations.
By Thursday, Ragasa weakened to 65 km/h (40 mph) and was forecast to dissipate, though heavy rain remains a threat to Vietnam and other parts of Southeast Asia.