BEIJING, August 21 (RIA Novosti) - The number of officially confirmed Typhoon Morakot victims has reached 153, with 464 people missing and feared buried in landslides, China's Sina news agency reported on Friday.
The typhoon, the worst storm to hit the island in half a century, hit Taiwan two weeks ago.
Taiwanese authorities were criticized for their "slow and chaotic" response to the disaster. Taiwan's Defense Minister Chen Chao-min and Cabinet Secretary General Hsueh Hsiang-chuan offered their resignations after the typhoon, but have yet to leave their posts.
Damage from Morakot has been estimated at around $1.33 billion.
The typhoon's path earlier passed through the Philippines, where dozens of people also died.
