The annual Wanan air defense exercise is to be held in several locations across Taiwan from today to Thursday, with civilians required to shelter in place when alarms sound, the Ministry of National Defense said.
Air raid sirens are to sound at 1:30pm to signal the start of 30-minute drills today in northern Taiwan, tomorrow in central Taiwan, Wednesday in southern Taiwan and Thursday in eastern Taiwan and outlying counties, it said.
Northern Taiwan covers Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung, Taoyuan, Hsinchu county and city and Yilan County.
Photo: CNA
Central Taiwan comprises Taichung, Chiayi county and city, and Miaoli, Changhua, Nantou and Yunlin counties.
Southern Taiwan covers Tainan, Kaohsiung and Pingtung County, with the eastern and outlying areas comprising Hualien, Taitung, Penghu, Kinmen and Lienchiang counties.
Vehicles must stop and pedestrians must find shelter in a shop or other covered area. MRT services are to operate normally, but disembarking passengers cannot leave MRT stations from 1:30pm to 2pm today, and need to stay either on platforms or in hall areas.
A stricter evacuation protocol is to be applied to selected boroughs, in which vehicles must not only park, but this year drivers and passengers must step out and find shelter, the ministry said.
The selected areas are Kuangchu Borough (廣居) in Taipei’s Xinyi District (信義), Fengle Borough (豐樂) in Taichung’s Nantun District (南屯), and Dongciao Borough (東橋) in Tainan’s Yongkang District (永康), it said.
However, the Taipei City government said yesterday that it is extending the central government’s Kuangchu protocol to the entire city amid tightened defense drills for the capital.
Those who contravene evacuation controls will be subject to a fine ranging from NT$30,000 to NT$150,000 (US$1,003-US $5,014) under the Civilian Defense Act (民防法), the ministry said.
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