Sunday August 16, 2009

U.S. plane lands in Taiwan to help mudslide victims

By Lee Chyen Yee

TAIPEI (Reuters) - The first U.S. military plane to land in Taiwan for three decades arrived on Sunday with building materials to help reconstruction, a week after a typhoon brought devastating floods and mudslides.

A U.S. military C130 aircraft, carrying relief supplies such as plastic sheets for typhoon Morakot victims, lands in Tainan County, southern Taiwan August 16, 2009. (REUTERS/Taiwan Military News Agency/Handout)

The C-130 cargo plane flew to Tainan in Taiwan's south from its base in Okinawa, Japan. It was the first such flight since the U.S. broke off diplomatic ties after adopting a "one-China" policy following detente with mainland China.

The official death toll from Taiwan's worst floods in about 50 years stands at 124, though the final figure may be much higher. Thousands are still trapped in the south of the island by mudslides and disruptions to land transport.

So far, over 60 countries have donated around T$68 million ($2 million) in cash as well as other relief supplies, the foreign ministry said.

Singapore has sent food and medical supplies, and on Sunday Australia sent disinfecting equipment.

The United States and China have both offered to provide heavy-lift helicopters to Taiwan's rescue teams, which are gradually shifting from saving lives to clearing up disaster areas for reconstruction.

Taiwan is considering whether to accept the offer from China, its political rival.

"We're still waiting for the United States to tell us when the helicopters are coming. There should be two and they are able to lift tonnes of heavy cargoes," Transport Minister Mao Chi-kuo told a news conference.

"Regarding mainland China ... we are evaluating whether we need those helicopters they were offering."

Taiwan's semi-official Straits Exchange Foundation said over the weekend its Chinese counterpart was willing to donate building material and pre-fabricated homes.

Typhoon Morakot dumped several metres of rain on Taiwan, washing away bridges, severing roads and triggering landslides that flattened villages, some of which were buried in mud several storeys high.

In addition to the loss of life and homes, official data put the cost to agriculture at T$12 billion.

The main opposition Democratic Progressive Party has accused President Ma Ying-jeou, in office for just over a year, and the government of being slow to respond.

Visiting disaster areas at the weekend, Ma accepted some blame for the government and himself.

"When something happens to our nation, whether good or bad, I am fully responsible," he said.

(US$ = T$32.9)

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