Reconstruction work following the damage caused by the magnitude 6.4 earthquake that struck southern Taiwan last week is to begin soon, with the Executive Yuan scheduled to hold a meeting today to discuss resources that can be allocated for the work and the regulations to utilize them.
Vice Premier Woody Duh (杜紫軍) announced the meeting yesterday. Authorities are to be asked to look into the regulations and available funds that can be used for reconstruction and rehabilitation work, he said.
“The central government will cooperate with local governments to assist in the reconstruction in the most efficient and flexible way,” Duh said in a working meeting at the Central Emergency Operations Center.
Today’s meeting is expected to serve as a preliminary framework for the Executive Yuan’s central disaster prevention and control meeting scheduled to take place on Wednesday, according to a United Daily News report.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of the Interior Jonathan Chen (陳純敬) said that he has instructed authorities to continue evaluating the extent of the damage and to provide shelter for people rendered homeless, while working on mental health consultations for people affected by the disaster.
The National Fire Agency is to continue to communicate with the Tainan City Government to stay up-to-date about rescue efforts so that it can provide aid if needed, he said.
In addition, with the weather getting warmer, health authorities are to provide assistance in terms of hygiene and quarantine in the affected areas to prevent the outbreak of infectious diseases, he said.
About 5,000 households in Tainan still have no access to water.
As of 2pm yesterday, the death toll caused by the earthquake had reached 116, 114 of whom were found in the rubble of the Weiguan Jinlong apartment complex in Tainan’s Yongkang District (永康).
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