CCTV captures bridge swallowed by flood in Taiwan’s Hualien

As Super Typhoon Ragasa unleashed torrential rains across Taiwan on Tuesday, dramatic CCTV footage from the Water Resources Agency captured a bridge in Hualien being overwhelmed by surging floodwaters. The video shows torrents rushing both over and under the structure after a landslide-formed lake burst its banks in the mountainous county.

Officials confirmed that the sudden outflow of water inundated a nearby town, leaving more than 260 people trapped in their homes and cut off by damaged roads. Emergency crews are working to reach residents with boats and helicopters as the rains continue to swell rivers and destabilise slopes.

Hualien, located on Taiwan’s east coast, has been one of the hardest-hit regions since Ragasa made landfall, bringing with it destructive winds and widespread flooding. Authorities have already evacuated thousands across northern and eastern Taiwan, while schools and offices were ordered shut.

The Central Weather Bureau warned that continued downpours may trigger further landslides and flash floods in mountainous areas. Rescue operations remain ongoing, with officials urging residents to heed evacuation orders and avoid flooded roads as Taiwan braces for the typhoon’s next phase.