Taiwan mourns for Morakot victims

Flags are being flown at half-mast in Taiwan as three days of mourning begin for people who lost their lives as a result of Typhoon Morakot.

At least 500 people are still missing, thought killed by floods and mudslides caused by the typhoon, which was Taiwan's worst typhoon in 50 years.

President Ma Ying-jeou promised to press ahead with a programme of reconstruction and resettlement.

So far the government has confirmed the deaths of 160 people in the typhoon.

Opinion polls suggest President Ma's approval rating among Taiwanese voters has declined sharply following criticism of his government's slow response to the emergency.

Among the memorial services he attended was one at Hsiaolin, perhaps the village worst affected by the typhoon.

"I assure you I will complete the reconstruction and resettlement during my term and I will punish negligent officials," President Ma said at the service.

The village washed away by mud

Hundreds of the victims are believed to be buried by mud in Hsiaolin, which was almost completely covered in a mudslide triggered by several days of extremely heavy rainfall.

The president's critics, some of whom surrounded and heckled him during his visit to a shrine, point to what they see as his inability to take responsibility for a poor response to the emergency.

Three senior ministers remain in place even after offering their resignations over the official response though, correspondents say, a government re-shuffle is likely next month.

Taiwan's parliament, now in recess, is due to hold an additional session in the coming days to review a special budget worth NT$100bn ($3bn, £1.84m) to cover typhoon relief and reconstruction.

The disaster sparked a global response with at least 81 countries, the European Union, and 21 international organisations donating personnel and NT$160m ($4.87m, £2.95m) in relief aid to Taiwan, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Are you in the region? Have you been affected by the typhoons and the landslides? Send us your comments and experiences using the form below.

Send your pictures to [email protected] or text them to +44 7725 100 100. If you have a large file you can upload here.

Read the terms and conditions

At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws.

The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version