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Hundreds of people are feared to be dead in Taiwan after Typhoon Morakot triggered a mudslide that buried an entire village on the south west coast. Officials said about 600-800 people are missing in Shiao Lin village after part of the mountain collapsed on sleeping villagers' homes on Monday morning. Most of the dead are thought to be the elderly and children. Elsewhere in Taiwan, the number of confirmed deaths is 37, with 35 injured and 52 missing, officials said. Typhoon Morakot dropped some 2m (80in) of rain on Taiwan this weekend, causing the worst flooding in decades.
The typhoon is now battering southern China, forcing the evacuation of a million people from their homes. Six deaths have been reported there. In Japan, Typhoon Etau has set off flash floods and landslides that have killed at least 12 people. Trapped Taiwanese television earlier reported that about 200 homes in Shiao Lin village were buried by mud. The BBC's Cindy Sui, in Cishan village, some 40km (25 miles) away, says about 50 people had been rescued and another 150 found alive in another part of the village. Our correspondent says many of those rescued said their family members were still trapped inside. Rescue efforts have been complicated as many of the roads leading to Shiao Lin have been washed away and the unstable ground makes it difficult for rescue helicopters to reach the area. In another incident in Taiwan, an entire hotel - empty at the time - collapsed into the raging waters. Morakot has also contributed to heavy rains in the Philippines. At least 10 people were killed in flooding and landslides in the north of the country last week. Typhoons and tropical storms are frequent in the region between July and September. |
