Taiwan Mitigates Flood Casualties, Continues Search for Dozens Missing

Taiwan has revised the death toll from Tuesday's devastating lake flood down from 17 to 15 people after discovering duplicate cases were counted by mistake. But 34 people remain missing, and rescue teams are still searching flooded areas where water reaches as high as a full story in some buildings.

The flooding hit Taiwan's mountainous Hualien County after Typhoon Gaemi brought heavy rainfall to the region. At least 52 people were injured in the disaster, which has left entire communities underwater.

Guangfu Township took the worst hit. Large-scale search operations continued Thursday as rescue teams worked through areas still completely submerged. The scene shows just how powerful the flooding was - buildings with their first floors completely underwater and debris scattered across what used to be streets.

Taiwan's Central Emergency Operations Center is keeping close watch on lake water levels. Officials worry about additional flooding as water systems remain unstable. They're planning to deploy drones for aerial assessment and rescue support once weather conditions improve enough for safe flight operations.

This disaster highlights Taiwan's vulnerability to extreme weather events. The island sits in a region where typhoons regularly bring dangerous amounts of rainfall, but Gaemi's impact on Hualien's mountainous terrain created particularly severe flooding conditions. The mountainous geography can channel rainwater into devastating torrents that overwhelm communities in low-lying areas.