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Rain wreaks havoc across Taiwan

Firemen in Chiali Township, Tainan County yesterday rescue a man who drove his truck into a ditch as a result of poor visibility caused by torrential rain. PHOTO: CHEN YI-MIN, TAIPEI TIMES

Recent torrential rain has caused over NT$200 million (US$6.06 million) worth of agricultural damage, Council of Agriculture (COA) officials said yesterday.

About 16 percent of the country's arable land has been adversely affected, resulting in damage worth NT$237.52 million.

Watermelon and muskmelon farmers in Miaoli will receive compensation for their losses, the council said.

In southern Taiwan, the price of vegetables has reportedly been soaring due to crop damage. The price of eggplants rose from NT$30 to NT$80 per kilo and the price of balsam pears went up to NT$80 per kilo.

Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) yesterday traveled to Houlung township (後龍) in Miaoli County to inspect serious damage to watermelon fields caused by the rain.

Su promised cash subsidies for the farmers who suffered damages.

The COA issued a landslide alert yesterday for Miaoli, Taichung, Yunlin, Chiayi, Kaohsiung and Nantou counties.

It also raised the number of rivers on a red alert list for mudflows from 233 to 299.

The council sounded the alert shortly after the Central Weather Bureau warned that the entire country is expected to experience a lot more wet weather through Monday.

The weather forecasters said the heavy rain is caused by a stationary front that is lingering over Taiwan.

The bureau said people should take precautions against heavy or torrential rain, while those living in mountainous regions should be particularly aware of the threat of landslides, falling rocks, mudslides and flooding.

In other weather-related developments, an excavator operator was buried alive by mudslides at the intersection of Da-hua First Rd and Second Rd in Keelung.

Two workers in Pingtung became stuck in a sand bar but rescued an hour later.
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