The threat of further damage in the wake of yesterday's earthquake topped the list of the government's concerns as Premier Tang Fei (
"To minimize loss of life and property, we are calling for the immediate evacuation of areas threatened by mudflows and landslides," said COA Chairman Chen Hsi-huang (
Meanwhile, Tang said in an address, said that the NT$200 million the government had previously allotted for mudflow prevention measures would be available as soon as possible.
PHOTO: HUNG SHAO-CHIN, LIBERTY TIMES
Tang's statement was made in an effort to calm the frayed nerves of the residents of central Taiwan in the wake of yesterday morning's tremor, measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale. Central Taiwan residents are still suffering from the effects of the devastating 921 earthquake last year.
The NT$200 million was allotted in May to the Council of Agriculture (COA) to conduct a mudflow and landslide prevention project. The project was scheduled to be completed by June 22.
However, yesterday's tremor and a forecast of heavy rain have accelerated the project.
The Central Weather Bureau yesterday issued a three-day torrential rain forecast which prompted COA officials to establish a special team in a bid to provide solutions to possible mudflow threats in the mountain areas.
To determine whether ongoing mudslide defenses in disaster areas will be able to stand up to this week's expected heavy rain, central Taiwan-based COA officials investigated several threatened areas yesterday afternoon.
In Wukung borough (
"We are worried about the heavy rain because defensive construction has not been completed," said resident Li Ming-tung (
When Vice Premier Yu Shyi-kun inspected Wukung yesterday afternoon, officials from the COA's Soil and Water Conservation Bureau (
"If residents refuse to have their land requisitioned, it is very difficult for [the government] to conduct landslide and mudflow prevention work," said the bureau's director-general, Chen Chih-ching (
Wukung is one of 65 villages in central Taiwan listed as "at risk" from potential mudflows by the COA after the 921 earthquake.
However, evacuating people from these villages has become a challenge for the government. Residents have often refused the conditions offered by the government for requisition.
Yu demanded that Nantou County Commissioner Peng Pai-hsien (
"All dangerous villages have to be evacuated, but the government will provide residents with several alternatives for their relocation," Yu said, after inspecting Wukung.
Nantou County Commissioner Peng requested Vice Premier Yu provide a special military rescue team, which would be in charge of managing mudflow and landslide-related crisis professionally.
According to a COA survey completed following the 921 earthquake, about 8,620.6 hectares of collapsed land in central Taiwan have caused 370 creeks or rivers to become a danger to residents, especially during the rainy season.
ACTION PLAN: Taiwan would expand procurement from the US and encourage more companies to invest in the US to deepen bilateral cooperation, Lai said The government would not impose reciprocal tariffs in retaliation against US levies, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, as he announced five strategies to address the issue, including pledging to increase Taiwanese companies’ investments in the US. Lai has in the past few days met with administrative and national security officials, as well as representatives from various industries, to explore countermeasures after US President Donald Trump on Wednesday last week announced a 32 percent duty on Taiwanese imports. In a video released yesterday evening, Lai said that Taiwan would not retaliate against the US with higher tariffs and Taiwanese companies’ commitments to
‘SPECIAL CHANNEL’: Taipei’s most important tasks are to stabilize industries affected by Trump’s trade tariffs and keep negotiations with Washington open, a source said National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) arrived in the US for talks with US President Donald Trump’s administration, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday. Wu was leading a delegation for a meeting known as the “special channel,” the Financial Times reported earlier. It marked Trump’s first use of the channel since returning to the White House on Jan. 20. Citing a source familiar with the matter, the Financial Times reported that Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) was also a part of the delegation. The visit came days after China concluded war games around Taiwan and amid Trump’s
Intelligence agents have recorded 510,000 instances of “controversial information” being spread online by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) so far this year, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said in a report yesterday, as it warned of artificial intelligence (AI) being employed to generate destabilizing misinformation. The bureau submitted a written report to the Legislative Yuan in preparation for National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen’s (蔡明彥) appearance before the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee today. The CCP has been using cognitive warfare to divide Taiwanese society by commenting on controversial issues such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC, 台積電) investments in the
HELPING HAND: The steering committee of the National Stabilization Fund is expected to hold a meeting to discuss how and when to utilize the fund to help buffer the sell-off The TAIEX plunged 2,065.87 points, or 9.7 percent, to close at 19,232.35 yesterday, the highest single-day percentage loss on record, as investors braced for US President Donald Trump’s tariffs after an extended holiday weekend. Amid the pessimistic atmosphere, 945 listed companies led by large-cap stocks — including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) and Largan Precision Co (大立光) — fell by the daily maximum of 10 percent at the close, Taiwan Stock Exchange data showed. The number of listed companies ending limit-down set a new record, the exchange said. The TAIEX plunged by daily maxiumu in just
RSS