In the wake of Taiwan's most violent earthquake this century, local prosecutors have taken legal action against dozens of contractors and architects who are suspected of negligence.
The Ministry of Justice, which is leading the probe, released results of its initial investigation yesterday.
A total of 61 cases have been identified where contractors and architects are alleged to be responsible for damage to structures due to substandard construction or design. Out of a total of 62 suspects, 10 have been detained and 15 have been released on bail. A total of 46 have been prevented from leaving the country.
Prosecutors in Taichung County, the area hardest hit by the earthquake, are investigating 31 cases in which contractors and architects are accused of negligent manslaughter and endangering public safety.
In Nantou County, also severely hit by the earthquake, prosecutors have found 19 cases. There are also five cases under investigation by the Panchiao Prosecutors' Office.
Tseng Yung-fu (
Prosecutors have found that some of the construction companies under suspicion have already closed their businesses. Residents of the damaged buildings have protested that these firms are trying to avoid facing the consequences of civil or criminal action.
However, Tseng noted yesterday that the suspected contractors will not be able to escape the law as responsibility for liability lies with the contractors themselves, not with the construction companies.
During spot checks conducted on some of the collapsed buildings prosecutors discovered foreign materials -- such as metal cooking oil containers, newspapers and chunks of polystyrene -- embedded in the reinforced cement pillars.
The discovery of shoddy construction materials among the wreckage of buildings has sparked furious protests among residents and has been cited as evidence of negligence.
Some construction professionals argued, however, that it was not unusual to find foreign materials in pillars that are not major backbones of a building. However, not many residents accept this argument.
"We've sought help from a number of civil engineering and architecture professionals in assessing the damage. We highly respect the professional knowledge of these people. But, like any ordinary citizens, we find it difficult to agree that the kind of stuff [oil barrels, newspapers] we saw could be used in the normal construction of buildings," Tseng said.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-Wong tomorrow, which it said would possibly make landfall near central Taiwan. As of 2am yesterday, Fung-Wong was about 1,760km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving west-northwest at 26kph. It is forecast to reach Luzon in the northern Philippines by tomorrow, the CWA said. After entering the South China Sea, Typhoon Fung-Wong is likely to turn northward toward Taiwan, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said, adding that it would likely make landfall near central Taiwan. The CWA expects to issue a land
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it is expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong this afternoon and a land warning tomorrow. As of 1pm, the storm was about 1,070km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, and was moving west-northwest at 28 to 32kph, according to CWA data. The storm had a radius of 250km, with maximum sustained winds of 173kph and gusts reaching 209kph, the CWA added. The storm is forecast to pass near Luzon in the Philippines before entering the South China Sea and potentially turning northward toward Taiwan, the CWA said. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said
PREPARATION: Ferry lines and flights were canceled ahead of only the second storm to hit the nation in November, while many areas canceled classes and work Authorities yesterday evacuated more than 3,000 people ahead of approaching Tropical Storm Fung-wong, which is expected to make landfall between Kaohsiung and Pingtung County this evening. Fung-wong was yesterday morning downgraded from a typhoon to a tropical storm as it approached the nation’s southwest coast, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, as it issued a land alert for the storm. The alert applies to residents in Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Taitung counties, and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春). As of press time last night, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Yilan, Miaoli, Changhua, Yunlin, Pingtung and Penghu counties, as well as Chiayi city and county had
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday issued a sea alert for Typhoon Fung-wong (鳳凰) as it threatened vessels operating in waters off the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島), the Bashi Channel and south of the Taiwan Strait. A land alert is expected to be announced some time between late last night and early this morning, the CWA said. As of press time last night, Taoyuan, as well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties had declared today a typhoon day, canceling work and classes. Except for a few select districts in Taipei and New Taipei City, all other areas and city
RSS