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Hsuehshan Tunnel set for final emergency drill

The long-anticipated and controversial Hsuehshan Tunnel is set to hold a final drill today before opening to the public on the 16th of this month.

Bane Chiou (邱琳濱), the director-general of the Taiwan Area National Express Engineering Bureau, said that the bureau has addressed 13 items identified by academics as being in need of immediate improvement in a drill last Thursday.

However, unlike the "scripted" drill last week, academics will perform spot inspections to determine whether all systems are functional and whether staff can react quickly to emergency situations.

Meanwhile, a 10km race through part of the tunnel on Sunday came under criticism yesterday as local media reported that some athletes got heat stroke or fainted during the event. Reports blamed the bad air circulation in the tunnel for the injuries.

The bureau confirmed that 27 people reported that they did not feel well during the race, and that four of them had recovered after being sent to the hospital for emergency care.

The bureau and Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee co-organized a mini-marathon inside the tunnel on Sunday, which was joined by nearly 4,000 runners and 1,300 rollerbladers.

Chiou defended the race yesterday, saying that organizers had informed runners to check to make sure they were in good physical condition. Chiou added that the tunnel's air circulation machines were activated during the race, and that the wind was circulating through the tunnel at a speed of three to five meters per second. Meanwhile, tunnel staff kept the temperature within the tunnel between 18?C and 20?C.

Chiou said that first-prize winner Wang Wen-chien (王文騫) told organizers that the run had gone more smoothly than he had expected.

The race was part of a campaign by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) to educate the public about the tunnel and its safety procedures.

MOTC Vice Minister Tsai Duei (蔡堆), Council for Economic Development Vice Chairman Chang Ching-sen (張景森) and Ilan County Commissioner Lu Kuo-hwa (呂國華), from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) joined the race.

Organizers issued 3,000 two-hour driving permits so that runners could drive through the tunnel after the race was over.

Approximately 200 motorists, led by the staff stationed at the tunnel, used the permits to drive home.

Motorists were told to strictly follow traffic regulations when driving inside the tunnel, including staying under the 70kph speed limit, tuning in to the FM frequency that broadcasts messages from the tunnel's staff, and maintaining a safe driving distance of 50m from the vehicle in front of them at normal speeds and 20m in heavy, slower traffic.

The tunnel is the fifth longest in the world, at nearly 13km. Controversies were sparked due to the environmental impact of the tunnel's construction, and 11 workers died during the project.

The Association for Victims of Occupational Injuries will petition in front of the MOTC today, asking it to establish a monument to honor the sacrifices made by deceased workers.
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