600 People Missing From Taiwan Mudslide
Medical team evacuates children.
After a mudslide caused by Typhoon Morakot, 600 people in Taiwan are unaccounted for. Morakot dropped about 2 meters of rain in Taiwan before moving to China. Nearly 1 million people from coastal areas had to evacuate.
In a television image, a six-story hotel in Taiwan collapsed and plunged into a river. The cause was because of flood waters eroding its base.
A Taiwanese police official had told the Press that 100 people had been rescued from a mudslide in Shiao Lin. He believes that at least 400 more people are still trapped in the area.
Meanwhile, in Lin Chien-chung, a rescued villager had told United Evening News that he believes there were at least 600 more people still buried in the mud.
"The mudslide covered a large part of the village including a primary school and many homes", he said. "A part of the mountain above us just fell on the village."
Flood waters had destroyed roads and bridges, so the village remains cut off. Provisions were dropped off by military helicopters in the area to rescue survivors.
Continuing bad weather has prevented the copters from landing.
Taiwan is currently reporting that 14 people died from Morakot and 51 are officially listed as missing.
