Tawain Grapples with Typhoon Aftermath

(13 Aug 09 - RV) Hundreds of villagers fled their homes minutes before a flood-created lake burst today,
while Taiwan's military airlifted more survivors from remote villages devastated in mudslides during last weekend's typhoon.


The military sent 4,000 new troops to join another 16,000 soldiers already working to save thousands of survivors stranded in several villages in the island's south.


Rescue efforts have been slow because many bridges and roads to hard-hit villages collapsed or were washed away, and public complaints about the pace of rescue efforts have been rising.


The official death toll in Taiwan stands at 108, with 61 listed as missing.


Spokeperson for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Patrick Fuller told us more about the relief operation.