Rescuers striving to save lives

Rescuers in eastern Taiwan pulled a man in his 90s from his flooded home on Thursday, where he had been trapped for three days after a barrier lake burst during torrential rains brought by Super Typhoon Ragasa.

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AFP correspondents saw the rescue unfold in Hualien, where entire streets have been buried under thick mud, with flood levels reaching the height of second-storey buildings in some areas.

At least 14 people were killed in Tuesday's disaster, 22 remained missing, and 54 were injured, the National Fire Agency said on Thursday.

Rescuers in mud-stained uniforms brought the man out on a stretcher, one of them holding a jacket over his face to shade him from the sun's glare. The unidentified man survived on food delivered by workers but grew unwell as the floodwaters rose, said Tu Jen-yi, one of the volunteers helping rescuers navigate the area.

Mr Tu said as he made his way through the debris that the area looked transformed.