Reacting to a mudslide triggered by Typhoon Haima which killed four members of the same family in Hsinchu County on the weekend, Minister of the Interior Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) yesterday said he had asked the Council of Agriculture to draw up a comprehensive evacuation plan for vulnerable areas.
"Disaster Prevention Law [災害防救法] Article 214 grants city mayors and county commissioners the right to forcibly evacuate. The responsibility to evacuate therefore falls on heads of local governments," Su said yesterday. "The central government's role is instead to offer weather-related information and provide assistance to local governments in the decision-making process."
Su said the tragedy took place because the victims of the Hsinchu mudslide had refused to evacuate despite being strongly advised to do so by local authorities.
"The Disaster Prevention Law says that those who refuse to evacuate face a fine of between NT$50,000 and NT$250,000," Su said. "Unfortunately, this tragedy has already taken place. But the decision to fine people or grant financial aid rests with the local government."
As an example of specific measures to be implemented during an evacuation order, Su said that within a few hours after written advice to evacuate has been issued, a fine should be imposed if residents refuse to comply.
"A database of areas prone to mudslides should also be established so that local governments can more efficiently implement evacuation plans," he said.
Su cited evacuation procedures in Florida as a model from which Taiwan could learn.
"Because of the hurricane that hit Florida, 500,000 people were forced to evacuate. I hope our public will similarly cooperate [with the government]," Su said.
But he also expressed concern that some members of the public are not cautious enough, blaming the government for executing reasonable safety measures.
"If an evacuation warning is issued but no mudslide occurs, then some people will blame the government for an unnecessary evacuation."
Su has also asked the Council of Indigenous Peoples and local governments to set up well-stocked shelters so that people forced to evacuate will feel a little more comfortable.
He said that the costs incurred for evacuating and sheltering residents will be met by the central government.
The manufacture of the remaining 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks Taiwan purchased from the US has recently been completed, and they are expected to be delivered within the next one to two months, a source said yesterday. The Ministry of National Defense is arranging cargo ships to transport the tanks to Taiwan as soon as possible, said the source, who is familiar with the matter. The estimated arrival time ranges from late this month to early next month, the source said. The 28 Abrams tanks make up the third and final batch of a total of 108 tanks, valued at about NT$40.5 billion
Travel agencies in Taiwan are working to secure alternative flights for travelers bound for New Zealand for the Lunar New Year holiday, as Air New Zealand workers are set to strike next week. The airline said that it has confirmed that the planned industrial action by its international wide-body cabin crew would go ahead on Thursday and Friday next week. While the Auckland-based carrier pledged to take reasonable measures to mitigate the impact of the workers’ strike, an Air New Zealand flight arriving at Taipei from Auckland on Thursday and another flight departing from Taipei for Auckland on Saturday would have to
A group from the Taiwanese Designers in Australia association yesterday represented Taiwan at the Midsumma Pride March in Melbourne. The march, held in the St. Kilda suburb, is the city’s largest LGBTQIA+ parade and the flagship event of the annual Midsumma Festival. It attracted more than 45,000 spectators who supported the 400 groups and 10,000 marchers that participated this year, the association said. Taiwanese Designers said they organized a team to march for Taiwan this year, joining politicians, government agencies, professionals and community organizations in showing support for LGBTQIA+ people and diverse communities. As the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex
MOTIVES QUESTIONED The PLA considers Xi’s policies toward Taiwan to be driven by personal considerations rather than military assessment, the Epoch Times reports Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) latest purge of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) leadership might have been prompted by the military’s opposition to plans of invading Taiwan, the Epoch Times said. The Chinese military opposes waging war against Taiwan by a large consensus, putting it at odds with Xi’s vision, the Falun Gong-affiliated daily said in a report on Thursday, citing anonymous sources with insight into the PLA’s inner workings. The opposition is not the opinion of a few generals, but a widely shared view among the PLA cadre, the Epoch Times cited them as saying. “Chinese forces know full well that
RSS