6 injured in wake of Typhoon Ragasa

Taipei, Sept. 23 (CNA) A total of six people were reported injured due to Typhoon Ragasa as of 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, after its land warning was lifted earlier at 8:30 a.m., according to Taiwan's Central Emergency Operation Center (CEOC).

The injured individuals were located in Kaohsiung and Pingtung County in the south, Hualien County and Taitung County in eastern Taiwan, and outlying Penghu County.

A CEOC meeting Tuesday morning determined that the Matai'an Creek Barrier Lake in Wanrong Township of Hualien County may overflow, prompting evacuations, creek clearance, and active monitoring of the situation.

A barrier lake is formed when debris, landslides, or natural blockages create a temporary dam along a river, holding back water.

Of the 8,524 residents in the area, 167 have been housed in three shelters, 3,118 sought refuge with family and friends, while the other 5,239 relocated vertically to higher grounds, according to the center.

Nationwide, 7,631 people have been evacuated, including 5,084 from Hualien County, 1,866 from Kaohsiung, 662 from Pingtung County, and 19 from Taitung County. A total of 682 people were placed in shelters. Of these, 672 remain there.

Meanwhile, landslide and mudslide warnings have been issued in Yilan, Hualien, Taitung and Pingtung Counties.

Regarding utility damage, a total of 11,363 households experienced power outages, with 10,013 restored and 1,350 still under repair; landlines were down in 1,016 households, with 597 repaired, according to the center.

In Taitung, a suspected tornado tore off tin roofs and blew over road signs early Tuesday morning, a local resident told CNA.

Driftwood can also be seen scattered over Taitung City Seaside Park that morning.

Meanwhile, on Liuqiu Island off Taiwan's southwestern coast, a resident posted a video on a local Facebook group page warning that driftwood has piled up on the Houshi Fringing Reef section of the island's highway, blocking traffic.

Liuqiu Township Councilor Hung Wen-liang (洪文良) told CNA that while the wind and rain were not especially strong Monday night, the waves were large.

The waves swept up a lot of driftwood previously caught in the reefs and were hard to clean off during the storms of Typhoon Podul, which hit Taiwan in August, he said.

Also on Tuesday, the Maritime and Port Bureau announced suspension of 12 ferry routes, totaling 110 trips to and from Taiwan's outlying islands.

These include those between Keelung and Matsu, Matsu's Nangan and Langqi of China's Fuzhou City, Matsu's Beigan and Fuzhou's Huangqi, Kinmen and China's Quanzhou City and Xiamen City, Kaohsiung and Penghu's Magong, Chiayi's Budai and Magong, Pingtung and Liuqiu, Taitung and Green Island, Taitung and Orchid Island, as well as Pingtung and Orchid Island.