Taiwan lowers Typhoon Ragasa death toll to 14; China starts cleanup

As the weakened tropical storm moves through China and makes its way to Vietnam, Taiwan has reduced Typhoon Ragasa’s death toll by three to 14.

According to the Hualien County Fire Department, some casualties have been recorded twice as a result of the island’s remote east coast impact, which was adjusted on Thursday from 17 to 20.

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As the search for those who are alleged to be out of contact continued, 33 people were also left with 152 on Wednesday.

The death was caused by the typhoon’s outer bands, which caused a barrier lake in Hualien County to overflow and pour water into Guangfu, the town.

Authorities must “seize the golden rescue window,” according to Taiwan’s Premier Cho Jung-tai, and the deaths, which mostly occurred on the first floors of buildings, must be investigated.

The main highway has been closed after floodwaters swept away the bridge, but Guangfu’s train station is back in operation.

William Lai Ching-te, president of Taiwan, is scheduled to visit the disaster zone later on Thursday, promising to donate a month of his salary to helping displaced residents.

Clean up China

After passing through Hong Kong, Ragasa churned into Guangdong province in mainland China, reaching speeds of 145 km/h (90 mph).

On Thursday, residents of southern China began cleaning up the damage.

On Thursday, AFP news agency reporters witnessed fallen trees and debris strewn across the streets at the impact point in Yangjiang.

Authorities have not yet identified any storm-related deaths.

Relief workers made an attempt to clear a massive tree that had fallen across a wide road on Hailing, an island run by Yangjiang.

The island is a popular destination for vacation, and many locals rely on tourism to support themselves.

Authorities had already ordered shut downs of businesses and schools in at least 10 cities in the south of the country, affecting tens of millions of people at the time the storm hit Hailing.

By Wednesday afternoon, nearly 2.2 million people in Guangdong had moved, but local officials later reported that several cities in the province had begun imposing restrictions on schools and businesses.

According to the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, Ragasa made its second landfall on Thursday morning in Beihai, Guangxi, as a tropical storm.

According to the Xinhua news agency, Chinese authorities have allocated roughly $49 million to rescue and relief projects.