Typhoon Rescue Chopper Crashes in Taiwan

And now to Taiwan where sadly a rescue helicopter crashed while rescuing survivors of Typhoon Morakot.
This is the visible wreckage of a rescue helicopter that's crashed in southern Taiwan.

Three people are feared dead after the accident that may have been caused in the wake of Typhoon Morakot.

The chopper was on its way to pick up more survivors from the disaster zone when it went down.

Witnesses described the final moments:

[Unidentified Crash Witness]:
"I turned around and saw the helicopter above with white smoke, the front part must have fallen already."

The helicopters are crucial to reach remote places like Kaohsiung county.

Up to six hundred people from a single village in the region are still missing after a landslide.

Touring the disaster zone, Taiwan's Prime Minister Liu Chao-Shiuan urged
people to keep calm.

[Liu Chao-Shiuan, Taiwanese Premier]:
"Rainfall is still increasing every day. We have to adjust our attitudes towards disaster prevention measures."

So far the loss to agriculture alone is estimated at 128 million U.S. dollars.

The final bill is certain to be a great deal higher.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• NTD
• Typhoon
• Taiwan
• Floods
• Military
• Weather
• China
• Rescue
• Morakot
• Liu Chao-Shiuan

[efanDank]

Sucks.