Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday announced a goal to restore basic living conditions in flood-stricken areas in Hualien County within 14 days.
Heavy rainfall brought by Super Typhoon Ragasa caused a barrier lake in the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) to burst on Tuesday last week, flooding Guangfu Township (光復).
As of yesterday, the flood had claimed 17 lives, left seven people missing, and scattered mud and debris across a wide area.
Photo coutesy of the Taiwan Medical Association via CNA
Cho yesterday attended a disaster relief briefing at the coordination post set up by the Central Emergency Operations Center at Guangfu Sugar Factory and inspected disaster areas.
Cho expressed gratitude to volunteers pouring into the township from around Taiwan to help with disaster relief, saying that it reflected the importance of national resilience and solidarity.
Cho also expressed gratitude to the county government for executing search and rescue tasks.
Search and rescue efforts would be stepped up to find the seven people that are still unaccounted for, and the red alert would remain in place as long as water remains in the Mataian River barrier lake, he said.
An accommodation subsidy program offers seven days of funding with an additional seven-day extension, Cho said.
The measure is expected to help affected people return to basic living conditions within 14 days, he said, adding that adjustments could be made if more time is needed.
With large numbers of volunteers pouring into the township needing proper care and management, the county government should help identify available space at private residences for them to stay, Cho said.
Comprehensive disinfection must be conducted at temporary waste disposal sites to prevent disease outbreaks, he said.
The state-funded Taiwan Foundation for Disaster Relief has increased the condolence payout for each death from NT$800,000 (US$26,191) to NT$1 million, while people with severe injuries due to the disaster would each receive NT$250,000, Cho said.
The government is also considering relief funds for people whose homes were affected by the flood, he said, adding that the amount could be NT$100,000 per household.
Hopefully, the central and local governments could work together to establish a resilient disaster relief model that integrates the command system, division of labor, supplies delivery, volunteer support, medical assistance and environmental management, he added.
Separately, President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday said he had instructed Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) to dispatch more than 2,500 soldiers to support post-disaster recovery and help affected people get back to their normal lives as soon as possible.
The soldiers would rotate with the same number of personnel tomorrow, with the goal of removing all the mud in disaster areas by the Mid-Autumn Festival on Monday next week, he said.
Lai also expressed thanks to volunteers, and reminded them to ensure their own health and safety before heading to disaster sites to help.
Additional reporting by Chen Yun
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