Typhoon Ragasa leaves 14 dead, over 120 missing in Taiwan

This photo taken on Sept. 23, 2025, shows an area in eastern Taiwan that flooded after a reservoir overflowed.

At least 14 people were killed and 124 others remain missing in Taiwan after Typhoon
Ragasa brought torrential rainfall mainly to the country’s east, authorities said Wednesday.

Many of the victims were elderly residents found on the first floors of their homes in Hualien County’s Guangfu Township. They were apparently unable to evacuate before floodwaters hit, local media reported, citing the county’s fire department.

In this photo taken from Sept. 23, 2025 video and released by Dong Wen Transports, a drone shot shows the remaining piers of the Mataian Bridge after it collapsed during typhoon Super Typhoon Ragasa passing through Hualien in eastern Taiwan

A barrier lake overflowed in Hualien, a county on the east coast, causing flooding downstream and prompting emergency calls from residents.

The area around the barrier lake, which local media reports said formed on a waterway decades ago as a result of a landslide, was forecast to experience 700-800 millimeters of rain over a four-day period through Thursday.

More than 30 people were also injured as the typhoon, the 18th of the season, moved south of the island. It did not make landfall.

Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang said Tuesday night the barrier lake overflow damaged public facilities and homes, and ordered agencies to conduct rescue operations, restore services and deliver relief to allow Hualien residents to return to normal life quickly.