Taipei  - Two more senior cabinet officials Wednesday offered to resign over mounting criticism of the government's response to Typhoon Morakot which killed as many as 600 people, local media said.

Defence Minister Chen Chao-min and Cabinet Secretary-general Hsueh Hsiang-chuan became the second and third Cabinet officials offering to quit, state-funded Central News Agency and Taiwanese television news channels said.

Chen was criticized for being too slow to order troops to join the rescue efforts, while Hsueh came under fire for taking a break to enjoy dinner with his relatives as the typhoon hit the island on August 8, the media said.

Cabinet spokesman Su Jun-pin declined to confirm or deny whether the two had offered their resignations to Premier Liu. Nor would he say whether the premier would accept their resignations.

On Monday, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrew Hsia resigned for his rejection of foreign aid after the typhoon hit.

By Tuesday, the official casualty list was 136 dead, 386 missing and 45 injured.

But the death toll is expected to rise further because in Hsiaolin Village in Kaohsiung County of south Taiwan, 433 villagers remain missing and are believed to have been buried on August 8 under 10 metres of mud.

There have been some calls for President Ma Ying-jeou to assume responsibility or even resign. Ma has refused to step down, saying it was his duty to lead the government in reconstruction work following the disaster.

An opinion poll by the United Daily News in Taipei showed Tuesday that Ma's popularity slipped to a new low of 29 per cent, compared with 66 per cent when he first assumed office in May last year. (dpa)