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Torrential downpours, dense fog, rugged terrain and raging rivers have made rescue efforts in Taiwan increasingly difficult and dangerous in the wake of Typhoon Morakot.
A rescue worker falls as he was trying to wade through the flash flood waters of the Laonung River.
1 of 3 Washed out roads and bridges rendered ground rescue operations virtually impossible as workers searched Thursday for stranded villagers in the central and southern regions of the island. Rescuers were forced to search by helicopter, inflatable boats and zip-line mechanisms that suspended them over the muddy waters coursing below.
In some cases, food drops have been conducted over isolated villages tucked amid the rugged terrain as villagers sought higher grounds to stay dry.
Economic losses were estimated at $274 million.
The storm dumped up to 83 inches of rain on some parts of the island, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
By Thursday morning the government had counted 108 deaths, 62 people missing and 45 injured. It also drafted a list of items needed from the international community: helicopters, gravel trucks, disinfectants and chlorine tablets.
Most of the missing are from Kaohsiung County, according to the National Disaster Prevention and Protection Commission. source: cnn.com