TAIWAN/CHINA: Clean-up work continues in Taiwan following worst typhoon in 50 years

Record ID: 573455

  • Title: TAIWAN/CHINA: Clean-up work continues in Taiwan following worst typhoon in 50 years
  • Date: 19th August 2009
  • Summary: MAOLIN TOWNSHIP, KAOHSIUNG COUNTY, TAIWAN (AUGUST 18, 2009) (REUTERS) EXCAVATORS DIGGING AT THE DISASTER SITE VARIOUS SOLDIERS CLEARING THE RESIDENTIAL AREA A COMMANDER TAKING CONTROL OF THE OPERATION SOLDIERS STANDING ON MUD EXCAVATOR CLEARING MUD EXCAVATOR DIGGING RESIDENT WATCHING SOLDIERS BULLDOZER PUSHING PILES OF MUD SOLDIERS CLEARING MUD THE PILE OF MUD COMPARED TO THE HEIGHT OF A PERSON (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) LOCAL RESIDENT MR. WAN SAYING: "It takes me half a day to go back and forth, but I need to buy children's stuff, home cleaning items, like detergents for dishes, we have nothing now." (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) LOCAL RESIDENT MISS HSIEH SAYING: "I think I can still live in my house, although after the typhoon destroyed our beautiful homes, there are lots of places we need extra effort to rebuild. But I still want to live here." VIEW OF MOUNTAIN DAMAGED VEHICLE STUCK IN DRIFTED WOOD LANDSLIDE EXCAVATOR OPERATING LANDSLIDE AND MOUNTAIN
  • Embargoed: 3rd September 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
  • Reuters ID: LVAW6J95NJGWM92R2MAHXBMMCY5
  • Story Text: Clean-up work continued in mountainous southern Taiwan on Tuesday (August 18), 11 days after the worst typhoon in decades swept the island.
    Soldiers helped villagers clean up mud that devoured their houses and cut off roads in Maolin township, Kaohsiung county.
    The army has delivered more than a thousand kilograms of relief supplies to Kaohsiung county each day, and evacuated hundreds of local residents, but local media says many are still reluctant to leave.
    Over 1,000 people, who refused to be evacuated, are staying in the three villages in Maolin. It is now taking them hours to walk the mountain routes to get supplies.
    "It takes me half a day to go back and forth, but I need to buy children's stuff, home cleaning items, like detergents for dishes, we have nothing now," said a local resident Mr. Wan.
    Typhoon Morakot, the worst in decades, lashed Taiwan on August 8, bringing torrential rain that triggered floods and mudslides which swamped villages and mountainsides in southern Taiwan.
    "I think I can still live in my house, although after the typhoon destroyed our beautiful homes, there are lots of places we need extra effort to rebuild. But I still want to live here," said another local resident, Miss Hsieh.
    In a makeshift shelter in neighbouring Liuguei town, a group of people gathered around a temporary shrine, praying for the diseased.
    They burnt incense, brought offerings and sent paper money to the dead, hoping they could fine peace in another world.
    So far, the official death toll of the catastrophe is 126, though President Ma Ying-jeou said last week more than 500 people could have been killed.
    Since Typhoon Morakot hit Taiwan over a week ago, more than 60 countries have donated about T$68 million ($2 million U.S. dollars) in cash and other relief supplies.
    China sent the second batch of assistance to Taiwan on Tuesday.
    A cargo plane was scheduled to take off with 44 tons of aid at 1400 local time (0600 GMT) from Beijing international airport and arrive in Kaohsiung airport three hours later, China's state television (CCTV) reported.
    The supplies, mostly blankets, sleeping bags and disinfectant, are worth 2.84 million yuan ($362,000 U.S. dollars), according to CCTV.
    Beijing pledged to give Taiwan assistance any time it is needed.
    "In mainland China, top officials and ordinary people are all paying close attention to the situation in Taiwan day and night, and are very concerned about the safety of our Taiwan compatriots at all times," Wang Yi, head of China's Taiwan Affairs Office told a live television broadcast at the airport.
    China will also send reconstruction teams to Taiwan, Wang added.
    A cargo ship has left Shenzhen port in the south with 100 sets of prefabricated houses for Taiwan on Monday (August 17) and donors across mainland China have donated about 130 million yuan ($18.9 million U.S. dollars), according to state media.
    The supplies were gathered according to a list made by Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation, which was given to its counterpart, China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait, said CCTV.
    The two semi-official organisations have handled most of the cross-Strait talks in the past.
    Morakot has caused about T$11.8 billion ($360 million U.S. dollars) in agricultural losses and damaged more than 250 road segments in the island and thousands of houses, which could takes years to reconstruct.
    ENDS.
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