Rescuers help flood victims cross the river as they are evacuated from flooded-affected villages in Jiashian Township, Kaohsiung county, southern Taiwan August 17, 2009. [Agencies]

SHENZHEN: The first batch of 100 prefabricated houses donated by Shenzhen, a booming city in south China, left Yantian Port Monday evening for Taiwan's Kaohsiung port.

Shenzhen City government decided to donate 1,000 prefabricated houses, which cover more than 50,000 square meters and were worth nearly 20 million yuan (US$2.9 million).

More than 500 workers started producing the houses Saturday and finished the first 100 houses Monday, said Wang Zeming, manager of Shenzhen Yahgee Modular House Co. Ltd.

Morakot, the worst typhoon to hit Taiwan in nearly five decades, wreaked havoc across central and southern Taiwan.

At least 126 people were killed and 61 others were still missing by 8 a.m. Monday, according to local disaster response authorities. Another 45 people were injured.

The authorities said the figures exclude villagers in Kaohsiung, with whom they had lost contact.