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Authorities in eastern Taiwan have confirmed two fatalities and report numerous individuals trapped or missing following the collapse of a mountain lake’s banks due to a super typhoon.
The breach occurred on Tuesday afternoon at a barrier lake, a body of water formed by previous landslides. The resulting surge inundated the township of Guangfu in Hualien county.
Rescue teams from across Taiwan are being dispatched to the affected region. Super Typhoon Ragasa, classified as the strongest storm of 2025, is currently tracking towards China’s southern coastline.
Ragasa is projected to make landfall in Guangdong province on Wednesday, prompting the evacuation of approximately 370,000 residents and the closure of numerous schools and businesses. Hong Kong has elevated its typhoon warning to the highest level, level 10.
Ragasa, the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane, exhibited peak wind gusts reaching 285km/h (177mph) on Monday. Widespread warnings for potential floods, storm surges, and landslides have been issued across the region throughout the week.
Taiwan has experienced the outer bands of Ragasa since Monday. According to Reuters news agency, the island’s eastern region has recorded nearly 60cm (24 inches) of rainfall attributed to the typhoon.
In Hualien county, the burst lake caused the destruction of a bridge, the uprooting of trees, and the submersion of vehicles. Video footage depicted rapidly flowing water traversing the area.
Lee Lung-sheng, deputy chief of Hualien County Fire Department, stated to AFP news agency, “In certain areas, water levels temporarily reached the second story of residences and approximately one story in the town center, where the water is now receding.”
“Approximately 263 individuals were trapped and relocated to higher elevations as the river level rose rapidly. While not in immediate danger, they are expressing significant concern regarding the high water levels.”
Elsewhere in Taiwan, six injuries were reported, ferry services were suspended, and over 100 international flights were cancelled as Ragasa passed through the region.
Chinese authorities are forecasting potential storm surges reaching up to five meters. Around 370,000 people have been evacuated in Guangdong province, with authorities cautioning about a potentially “catastrophic” situation.
On Tuesday, supermarket shelves in Hong Kong were depleted of essential goods such as fresh bread, vegetables, meat, and instant noodles as residents prepared for the storm’s impact.
Hong Kong International Airport announced anticipated “significant disruption to flight operations” from 18:00 local time (10:00 GMT) on Tuesday through the following day.
More than 500 Cathay Pacific flights are expected to be cancelled, while Hong Kong Airlines announced the suspension of all departures from the city.
Ragasa, dubbed the “King of Storms” by China’s meteorological agency, is projected to track towards northern Vietnam in the coming days, potentially impacting millions of people.
In cities across southern China, business owners have placed sandbags in front of their establishments in anticipation of the storm’s arrival, with residents in low-lying coastal areas particularly concerned about potential tidal surges.
Many residents have also taped windows of homes and businesses as a precaution to prevent destruction.
While southern China and Hong Kong are accustomed to frequent typhoons, the potential impact of this storm is exacerbated by its trajectory.
The right-hand side of Ragasa, as it approaches Hong Kong and Guangdong, is recognized as the “dirty side,” and it is this section that will directly affect the region. The “dirty side” can be considerably more destructive than the left-hand side due to the combined effect of the storm’s motion and the background circulation of the typhoon.
The area where these two movements converge experiences the most destructive winds. Furthermore, these winds will push water inland, intensifying the storm surge.
While it is not yet possible to definitively attribute the intensity of Ragasa to climate change, scientific consensus indicates that a warming global climate is expected to increase the average intensity of tropical storms, including typhoons and hurricanes, according to UN scientists.
This translates to higher wind speeds, increased rainfall, and an elevated risk of coastal flooding, although the overall frequency of typhoons across east and southeast Asia may decrease in the future.
Ragasa also impacted a remote island in the northern Philippines on Monday, resulting in at least one fatality as thousands of families were evacuated prior to the storm’s arrival.
Schools and government offices were closed in significant portions of the country, including the capital city of Manila.
Eric Chan, the Chief Secretary for Administration of Hong Kong, stated that Ragasa would “pose a serious threat” to the city, drawing comparisons to two previous typhoons that caused severe damage.
Super typhoon Mangkhut in 2018, the most intense typhoon to strike the city to date, resulted in 200 injuries, the sinking of ships, and widespread infrastructure damage. The weather agency estimated economic losses of HK$4.6bn ($592m: £438m).
In 2017, typhoon Hato caused significant flooding and injured over 100 people in the city.
With additional reporting by Kelly Ng in Singapore, Simon Fraser in London, Mark Poynting, climate reporter and BBC Weather’s Sarah Keith-lucas
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National Highways say the bridge reopened at 20:50 BST on Saturday.
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