At least 14 people were killed and 18 injured after a decades-old lake barrier burst in eastern Hualien County on Tuesday, following torrential rains from Super Typhoon Ragasa, Taiwanese authorities said Wednesday, September 24, 2025. The breach sent a surge of muddy floodwaters into nearby towns, destroying a bridge and leaving a trail of devastation in its wake.
The National Fire Agency reported that 124 people remained missing in the aftermath of the disaster, while thousands of residents were evacuated across Taiwan as the storm continued to pound the island. More than 7,600 people were moved to safer locations, with emergency services scrambling to reach isolated communities cut off by flooding and landslides.
“It was like a volcano erupting. The muddy floodwaters came roaring straight into the first floor of my house,” Hsu Cheng-hsiung, 55, a neighborhood leader in Kuang Fu township, told AFP, recounting the terrifying moments as the barrier gave way. Hsu’s home, along with others in the vicinity, was inundated within minutes, forcing residents to flee for their lives.
Local resident Yen Shau, 31, described the scene as “a disaster movie.” He said that only an hour before the lake burst, people were still shopping at local supermarkets and stores, unaware of the impending calamity. “Within minutes, the water had risen to halfway up the first floor,” he said. Even after the initial surge, he remained on high alert, shoveling thick layers of mud from his home on Wednesday. “The mud was just too deep, too deep to dig out,” he added.
Footage released by the fire agency captured the scale of destruction, showing flooded streets, half-submerged vehicles, and uprooted trees strewn across Hualien County. Rescue teams faced enormous challenges navigating debris-laden waters to reach stranded residents, with helicopters deployed to airlift those trapped by the rising floodwaters.
Taiwan experiences frequent tropical storms between July and October, and this year has already seen multiple deadly events. Earlier in July, Typhoon Danas swept across southern Taiwan, dumping more than 50 centimeters of rain over a weekend, resulting in two deaths and hundreds of injuries. Typhoon Ragasa, considered more severe, brought heavy rainfall and strong winds across the island, exacerbating existing vulnerabilities in infrastructure and natural barriers.
Hualien County, located on Taiwan’s rugged eastern coast, is particularly susceptible to landslides and flash floods due to its mountainous terrain. The breached lake barrier, constructed decades ago to regulate water flow, had not faced a storm of this magnitude in recent memory. Officials warned that extreme weather, fueled by climate change, continues to increase the risk of infrastructure failure, calling for urgent reinforcement and disaster preparedness measures.
Local authorities have launched search and rescue operations, focusing on the most affected areas in Kuang Fu township. Emergency shelters are providing temporary accommodation, food, and medical care for displaced families. The central government has mobilized additional resources to support recovery efforts, including military personnel and heavy machinery to clear debris and restore access to cut-off areas.
President Tsai Ing-wen expressed condolences for the victims and called for immediate support to affected families. She urged local governments to intensify disaster response coordination and emphasized the importance of infrastructure upgrades to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
As the storm subsides, Taiwan faces a daunting recovery, with residents grappling with the loss of homes, livelihoods, and loved ones. Authorities continue to monitor weather conditions, warning that secondary floods and landslides remain possible in regions affected by Typhoon Ragasa. The full extent of the damage is still being assessed, but early reports underscore the severe human and material cost of the disaster in Hualien County.
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