Taiwan’s president has warned that the death toll from last week’s devastating floods is likely to top 500 people.
More than 50,000 troops are struggling to reach victims across southern and central Taiwan, many of whom have been without food and water since Typhoon Morakot struck nearly a week ago.
Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou said the current island-wide death toll of 117 would likely rise dramatically.
'With some 380 people feared buried by mudslides in Hsiaolin village, Taiwan’s death toll could rise to more than 500,' he told a national security meeting.
President Ma vowed the whole nation would mobilise to help the victims. 'The government will overcome all obstacles to accomplish the mission,' he said.
The typhoon dumped over 3m of rain on Taiwan, setting off flooding and mudslides which tore through houses and buildings, ripped up roads, and smashed bridges.
Losses from the typhoon total €3.4bn so far, according to Prime Minister Liu Chao-shiuan, although he did not specify what kind of losses he was referring to.
Mr Ma's administration has been criticised for being too slow to see the magnitude of the crisis in which hundreds of villages were cut off by mudslides, leaving them only accessible by air.
