2 dead, 3 missing after barrier lake overflow in Hualien

Taipei, Sept. 23 (CNA) Two people died and three others went missing Tuesday after floodwaters from the Matai'an Creek Barrier Lake surged into Guangfu Township, Hualien County, officials said.

As of 7 p.m., the Hualien County Fire Department reported two patients had died after being unable to reach medical care due to flooding, while nearly 300 others remained stranded.

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The lake overflowed at 2:50 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., sending torrents through Guangfu's neighborhoods, which rose nearly a story high before beginning to recede by evening.

A widely shared video showed a woman clinging to a pillar at Guangfu Market as muddy water rose above her waist, while her daughter posted the footage online pleading for help. The stranded woman was later rescued unharmed after the waters subsided.

The surge also destroyed the Matai'an Creek Bridge on Provincial Highway 9, while several other bridges remained closed due to swollen rivers.

The county government later announced work and classes in Guangfu Township would be suspended Wednesday to allow recovery and cleanup.