BEIJING, August 17 (RIA Novosti) - Authorities in Taiwan confirmed on Monday that 126 people died in floods and landslides caused by Typhoon Morakot last week, China's Xinhua news agency reported.
Local rescuers said the typhoon in southern Taiwan, which has devastated buildings and farmland, has left 61 people missing and 45 injured.
Over 100 people in Kaohsiung County, which has been cut off from the rest of the island by landslides caused by the typhoon, are believed to have been buried in the debris.
Hundreds of tourists are waiting to be evacuated from the island, Xinhua said.
At least 7,000 people have been left homeless by the typhoon, the worst to hit Taiwan in almost half a century. Material damage caused by Morakot is estimated at $372 million.
Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou earlier said the death toll could rise to at least 500. The typhoon's path earlier passed through the Philippines, where dozens of people died.
