Taiwan president takes blame for typhoon response

Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou said Sunday he accepts responsibility for the government’s slow response after Typhoon Morakot slammed into the island killing at more than 120 people and unleashing floods, mudslides and misery. Ma, who has faced heavy criticism from victims of the disaster, ruled out resignation, insisting his government did its best in the face of difficulties, however he pledged an investigation into any irregularities. “Certainly, I will take full responsibility whatever the blame is because, after all, I am the president of this country,” Ma told CNN, saying heavy rains grounded rescue helicopters in the first few days after the storm hit, delaying relief.

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Taiwanese call for souls to come home

"I believe a lot of souls are still in Shiao Lin village," says Yeh Rong Nan. Last weekend the mountain community was erased from the landscape as Typhoon Morakot swept across Taiwan killing at least 120 people. Nothing is left of the village except mud, rocks, debris and two homes, barely standing.

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1,300 still trapped after Taiwan typhoon

More than 1,300 people are still trapped in remote mountainous villages in southern Taiwan, victims of treacherous mudslides and floods from Typhoon Morakot, the country’s semiofficial Central News Agency said Saturday. Rescue officials quoted by the news agency said 1,373 were still trapped and 75 helicopters were scheduled to conduct rescue missions Saturday in the counties of Kaohsiung, Pingtung, Taitung and Chiayi.

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Typhoon mudslide leaves ghost village

Shao Lin was a village with 160 homes dotting a lush mountain valley. Today, it is a flattened plain of mud with just two homes standing on the edge of the mud. The silence in this ghost of a village is a stark contrast to the chaos a week ago when Typhoon Morakat screamed through last weekend.

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Taiwan typhoon toll could triple as entire village lies buried

The number of people killed in Taiwan by Typhoon Morakot, a destructive storm that swept through East Asia last week, could triple because hundreds of people are feared trapped under mudslides, the president’s office said Friday. The official toll from the typhoon was 118 but could jump to more than 300, with as many as 200 feared buried under five stories of mud in the badly-hit village of Shiao Lin, presidential spokesman Wang Yuchi said.

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Typhoon survivors find sanctuary in school

In the foothills of the Central Mountain chain in southern Taiwan, a rescue helicopter lowers itself onto an athletic field in the town of Nei Pu. The helicopter doors open and eight typhoon survivors stumble out with their belongings in plastic bags. It is a scene that plays out all day.

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Hundreds stranded in typhoon-hit Taiwan

Hundreds of people were stranded on Wednesday in villages dotting Taiwan’s mountainous regions after Typhoon Morakot unleashed its fury over the weekend and caused the worst flooding in a half-century. Morakot dumped 83 inches (2.1 meters) of rain on parts of the island, unleashing the worst flooding there in half a century, according to the U.S.

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One million flee as deadly storm slams into China

A deadly typhoon that slammed into China’s coastal provinces and Taiwan over the weekend has displaced nearly one million people and left dozens missing, state-run media reported Monday. High winds and torrential rain from Typhoon Morakot hit coastal provinces Fujian and Zhejian hardest, and caused the worst flooding in decades in Taiwan — where flood waters as high as seven feet were reported, China Daily said

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