Death toll in Taiwan rises

Taipei: Taiwanese officials say the death toll from flash floods triggered by tropical storm Kalmaegi has climbed to 19.

The storm lashed southern Taiwan with torrential rains on Friday, triggering flash floods and landslides.

The disaster relief center lists another six people as missing in its Sunday report. The death toll was raised from 13 to 19.

The center said mudslides buried two houses in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, killing seven people. Most others were washed away by rampaging waters.

Typhoons and tropical storms often hit the island between July and September. Kalmaegi, the Korean word for sea gull, was the first storm to hit Taiwan this year.