Taiwan Floods: Death Toll Rises and Substantial Agricultural Losses Reported
Seven people are reported to have died in floods that submerged central and southern Taiwan after a tropical depression passed over the area late last week.
The heavy rains caused the evacuation of over 6,000 people.
In total over 100 people were injured in the flooding, Channel NewsAsia reported.
A tropical depression has caused torrential rain in southern #Taiwan and Taiwanese Armed Forces has been working hard to provide flood relief efforts.
Photo courtesy of MND & YDN pic.twitter.com/xNCaqCCaNF— 王定宇 Wang Ting-yu (@MPWangTingyu) August 25, 2018
Flood waters triggered by days of heavy rain have claimed seven lives in Taiwan's southern county. #flood pic.twitter.com/aXPCktWEQ6
— China Daily (@ChinaDailyUSA) August 26, 2018
The Central Weather Bureau have issued a warning for more torrential rains to hit southern and central Taiwan from Aug 26 through Aug 29.
The Bureau add that landslides and falling rocks in mountainous areas, and further flooding in low-lying areas are more than likely.
Agricultural Losses
Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture has estimated that the devastating flooding in the south of the country has caused TWD563 million (USD18 million) worth of agricultural damage.
Chiayi County was the worst hit with the losses amounting to TWD415 million, according to a Central News Agency report.
The COA said that the agricultural losses in Tainan City, Kaohsiung City, Yunlin County and Pingung County were TWD112 million, TWD23.5 million, TWD17.5 million, and TWD6.75 million, respectively.
Crop losses are TWD69 million, with over 7,000 acres of farmland underwater.
Fishery losses stand at TWD314.5 million — Milkfish, tilapia, barramundi, eel, and grouper were the most affected species.
And poultry totals are down some TWD178.5 million.
Efforts to clean up poultry farms and eliminate the spread of disease were underway.
About 1.4 million chickens, 500,000 ducks, 200,000 geese, and also 7,000 pigs were reported to have died from the flooding.
GSM
[Featured Photo: Pingtung Government]
