Public outrage over the government's failure to rescue four workers washed away in Pachang Creek (
"On behalf of the government, I apologize to the people and society," Tang said during a news conference yesterday afternoon, saying that the government was still investigating and clarifying who was responsible and that the result would be out by this morning at the latest.
Four workers carrying out riverbed construction work in Pachang Creek were surrounded by the quickly rising torrent on Saturday afternoon. The four stood in the center of the river for three hours, waiting for a helicopter that never came, and were finally washed away at around 7:08pm in sight of family members and helpless would-be rescuers on the riverbank.
PHOTO: CHEN CHING-MIN, LIBERTY TIMES
The body of one victim, Lin Chung-ho (
The sight of the four, two of them a couple, embracing each other and resisting the torrent was seen by the nation on television.
The family members and friends of the dead and disappeared yesterday protested against the Air Force base at their Chiayi base, for their not having dispatched a rescue helicopter.
PHOTO: CHEN CHING-MIN, LIBERTY TIMES
Strong reaction also came from the main opposition parties.
"There is no difference between this kind of incompetent government and a murderer," PFP spokesman Sun Ta-chien (孫大千) said at a press conference yesterday.
The KMT said that the government is "slow in rescuing and swift in shifting responsibility."
Tang Fei, on the other hand, promised to severely punish those responsible and improve the rescue system.
"We will make an overall re-examination of related regulations and make immediate reforms to clarify responsibilities and establish a unified co-ordination mechanism. We will also seek the resolution of any inadequacy of staff or equipment. Top priority will be given to improving efficiency and saving people's lives," Tang said.
Though he said that an investigation of responsibility needed to be very carefully carried out, he hinted that the Fire Department of Chiayi County had made a wrong report in the first place.
"The Fire Department should have known that when the site of the incident is under the height of 2,500m the request (for a helicopter) should be made to the airborne police (rather than the Air Force), and this is a focus of our investigation," Tang said.
According to Chiayi County Fire Department, they requested help from the Air Force's Chiayi base at 5:55pm and turned to the air police at 6:20pm when their request was denied by the Air Force.
The Air Force at the time told the Fire Department that according to regulations it was the air police's job to carry out rescues in areas under the height of 2,500m.
But the nearest air police base was in Taichung, and when the helicopter took off at around 7:10pm, the victims had already been swept away, according to Chiayi Fire Department records.
Asked if such regulations might have hindered the rescue work, Tang Fei said that the division of tasks was necessary because the resources of any rescue unit are limited.
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
AMENDMENT: Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of high-temperature days, affecting economic productivity and public health, experts said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) is considering amending the Meteorological Act (氣象法) to classify “high temperatures” as “hazardous weather,” providing a legal basis for work or school closures due to extreme heat. CWA Administrator Lu Kuo-chen (呂國臣) yesterday said the agency plans to submit the proposed amendments to the Executive Yuan for review in the fourth quarter this year. The CWA has been monitoring high-temperature trends for an extended period, and the agency contributes scientific data to the recently established High Temperature Response Alliance led by the Ministry of Environment, Lu said. The data include temperature, humidity, radiation intensity and ambient wind,
SECOND SPEECH: All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist the CCP, despite their differences, the president said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday discussed how pro-Taiwan and pro-Republic of China (ROC) groups can agree to maintain solidarity on the issue of protecting Taiwan and resisting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The talk, delivered last night at Taoyuan’s Hakka Youth Association, was the second in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. Citing Taiwanese democracy pioneer Chiang Wei-shui’s (蔣渭水) slogan that solidarity brings strength, Lai said it was a call for political parties to find consensus amid disagreements on behalf of bettering the nation. All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist