Heavy rains brought by Typhoon Ragasa caused the barrier lake at the Fata’an River’s landslide dam to overflow Tuesday afternoon. Cabinet Secretary-General Chang Tun-han (張惇涵) said Wednesday that 14 people are confirmed dead and 124 are still missing.

Per Chang, communications and power have largely been restored in the disaster-stricken areas. Deputy Economic Minister Lai Chien-hsin (賴建信), who has expertise in water conservancy, has been dispatched to Hualien to coordinate efforts to integrate resources from the central and local government as well as the military. The Hualien County Government stated that they urgently need essential supplies and support from all sectors.

Nearly 4,900 reserve troops are on standby, working alongside police, firefighters, and search and rescue teams to check each residence one by one. Although the floodwaters have receded, significant silt and sediment have accumulated, blocking roads and requiring a large-scale cleanup effort.

Transportation Minister Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) visited the disaster zone Tuesday evening to direct the Highway Bureau to restore the area in three phases. The Transportation Ministry will also urge the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) to increase the number of shuttle trains between Hualien and Guangfu to transport disaster relief personnel to the area more quickly.