
Taiwan Reduces Typhoon Ragasa Death Toll to 14; China Initiates Cleanup Efforts
Typhoon Ragasa has been downgraded to a tropical storm as it moves from Taiwan into China, posing ongoing rain threats to Vietnam and other Southeast Asian regions. Taiwan’s Hualien County Fire Department revised the death toll from 17 to 14, noting some casualties were double-counted amid reports of heavy rainfall causing flooding in Guangfu. The number of missing individuals has decreased from 152 to 33 as searches continue. Taiwanese officials are investigating the fatalities, which primarily occurred on the lower floors of buildings.
In China, the storm impacted Guangdong province on Wednesday, bringing winds of up to 145 km/h (90 mph), leading to cleanup efforts in the city of Yangjiang where fallen trees and debris were reported. Despite extensive evacuations affecting nearly 2.2 million people in southern China, no storm-related deaths have been confirmed. Authorities have begun lifting restrictions in some areas as cleanup progresses. As of Thursday, Ragasa’s winds weakened to 65 km/h (40 mph), with further dissipation expected, although rain hazards will persist in Vietnam and southeastern regions. The Chinese government has allocated approximately $49 million for rescue and relief operations.
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