The Hualien District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday indicted Guangfu Township (光復) Mayor Lin Ching-shui (林清水) on charges of dereliction of duty and negligent manslaughter after a barrier lake breach killed 19 people on Sept. 23 last year.
Lin was also charged with falsifying evacuation figures during the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) disaster. Prosecutors are seeking a 10-year prison sentence, saying he has denied responsibility and shown no remorse.
The township office’s secretary, surnamed Chang (張), and civil affairs section head, surnamed Wang (王), were indicted on the same charges. Prosecutors are seeking nine-year sentences for both officials.
Photo: CNA
Investigations are proceeding into the possible criminal liability of other officials in the Hualien County and central governments, prosecutors added.
On Sept. 19, the Ministry of Agriculture determined that several boroughs in Fonglin (鳳林) and Guangfu townships in Hualien County could be affected if a barrier lake in the Mataian River overflowed as a typhoon approached Taiwan, they said.
On Sept. 21, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency issued a yellow alert recommending the pre-emptive evacuation of vulnerable residents in designated risk areas, they said.
However, Lin underestimated the potential disaster and proceeded with a scheduled visit to Yilan County, assigning Chang to attend a virtual meeting with the Central Emergency Operations Center in his place, they said.
After returning to Guangfu that evening, Lin failed to take command of disaster response operations and instead hosted a dinner for army rescue personnel deployed to the area with Chang, they said.
At 7am on Sept. 22, the Hualien branch of the forestry agency issued a red alert recommending immediate mandatory evacuation.
Despite the warning, Lin, Chang and Wang allowed a scheduled civil defense unit training session to proceed, even though they knew door-to-door evacuation and traffic restrictions should have been enforced, prosecutors said
After the training ended at 9am, Lin instructed only the borough wardens present to attend a meeting and failed to notify other wardens in affected areas, they said.
Lin subsequently ordered mandatory evacuation in only a limited number of areas and advised residents in other zones to seek higher ground or stay with relatives, they said.
He failed to coordinate with police to clear danger zones, allowing residents and vehicles to continue moving through the area, they said.
Chang had attended the emergency operations meeting and was aware of the severity of the disaster, but failed to push for stronger evacuation enforcement, they said.
Lin left his post to receive a dental implant in Fonglin during the emergency, ignoring the safety of residents in areas where evacuations had not been implemented, they said.
To conceal their negligence and respond to oversight from county and central authorities, the three officials later falsified evacuation figures in the emergency information system without verifying the actual population in affected areas, prosecutors said.
Lin had been held in detention since Jan. 15 over concerns that he could collude with accomplices or witnesses or attempt to flee.
Later last night, the Hualien District Court released Lin on NT$1 million (US$31,422) bail, on the condition that he wear an electronic monitoring device.
This article has been updated since it was first posted.
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