Taipei: A decades-old barrier lake formed by a landslide in eastern Taiwan burst on Tuesday as Super Typhoon Ragasa battered the island with heavy rains. The rupture flooded a nearby town and trapped over 260 people, according to local officials.

Typhoon Ragasa had already lashed the northern Philippines and Taiwan on Monday with torrential rains and strong winds, prompting the evacuation of thousands. In eastern Taiwan's Hualien county, where the downpour continued on Tuesday, the barrier lake on Mataian Creek suddenly burst around 3:00 pm local time, washing away a bridge and flooding the town below.

Lee Lung-sheng, deputy chief of Hualien County Fire Department, told AFP that in some areas the water rose temporarily as high as the second floor of houses and about one floor in the town centre, though the water levels had since started to recede. Around 263 people were stranded and had moved to higher ground when the river rose unexpectedly. Authorities said the trapped individuals were not in immediate danger, although two people were reported missing, with a search operation underway.

Residents in the flooded area were advised to stay put and wait for the waters to subside. Visuals from Taiwan’s National Fire Agency showed flooded streets, half-submerged cars, and uprooted trees as a result of the storm.

Across Taiwan, more than 7,600 people have been evacuated due to the typhoon. Before the lake burst, approximately 3,100 residents near Mataian Creek had been moved to safer locations with relatives.

Taiwan experiences frequent tropical storms during the July to October period. Just two months ago, Typhoon Danas struck the region in early July, causing the deaths of two people and injuries to hundreds, while dumping over 20 inches of rain mainly in southern Taiwan over the weekend.

The island’s authorities continue to monitor the situation closely as Typhoon Ragasa persists in impacting the region with heavy rain and thunderstorms forecast to continue.

With inputs from AFP