TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Mataian River Bridge collapsed on Tuesday after torrential rains from Typhoon Ragasa caused a barrier lake on Hualien’s Mataian River to overflow. 

At 2:50 p.m., water began spilling over the top of the landslide dam, and by 2:58 p.m., river levels surged at the Mataian River Bridge, per ETtoday. At 3:24 p.m., rising waters struck the bridge piers, surging onto the deck and breaking it into multiple sections.

Residents captured the bridge’s collapse on their smartphones. Floodwaters spilled over embankments, sweeping away vehicles and trapping some residents.

Drone footage on Wednesday showed torrents still surging around the site, with only isolated bridge supports remaining. Traffic along the Guangfu section of Provincial Highway 9 remains cut off.

The dam’s overflow channel has eroded 80 meters down to an elevation of 1,060 meters. The barrier lake spans about 50 hectares and holds an estimated 23 million tonnes of water.

Between 6 p.m. Tuesday and 9 a.m. on Wednesday, rainfall in the catchment area totaled 219 mm. Unstable geology around the dam continues to pose risks of renewed blockage or overflow.

Transportation Minister Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) ordered the Directorate General of Highways to complete a temporary detour road by Oct. 15 to allow ambulances and supply vehicles through. Plans are also in place to finish a temporary steel bridge by next February and build a permanent bridge by the end of next year to restore this section of the highway.