The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday confirmed that the length of an undersea cable it plans to build off southern Taiwan would be reduced from 800km to 200km due to a funding shortfall caused by inflation, adding that decreasing the project’s scale would cut earthquake and tsunami warning times.
The project, initiated by the state-run meteorology agency in 2020, was to install a 800km-long undersea cable from Pingtung County’s Fangshan Township (枋山) to the Philippines’ Luzon Island to enable the CWA to better observe seismic activities in the Manila Trench.
Historic records show that magnitude 8 earthquakes occur approximately every 200 years in the trench, while the cycle for magnitude 8.5 temblors was about 350 years. The last major quake recorded in the trench was about 400 years ago.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications
Should a large earthquake occur in the trench, it could generate tsunami waves of 10m to 15m in Luzon and about 7m in Taiwan’s Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島), based on simulation results, the administration said.
Severe damage would be expected in Taiwan’s southern and southwestern regions as well, it added.
The four-year project, which is to be completed this year, is jointly funded by Taiwan and the Philippines. The funding was previously estimated to top NT$2.6 billion (US$82.13 million), with the cost covering the construction of the 800km-long undersea cable and six submarine earthquake and tsunami observation units along the route.
Once finished, it was expected to provide an early warning of about 10 to 20 seconds after an earthquake occurs to alert the public of secondary seismic waves.
It could also provide people 30 minutes to an hour to prepare for a potential tsunami, the agency said.
However, CWA Administrator Cheng Chia-ping (程家平) told lawmakers in a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee that the agency is experiencing a funding shortage for the project due to global inflation, and it has so far failed eight times to recruit a contractor.
Meanwhile, it has downsized the project by reducing the length of the undersea cable to 200km and decreasing the number of submarine observation units to three, Cheng said.
Following the changes, the estimated early warning time after an earthquake would be about 14 seconds, while the warning time for a tsunami would be about 30 minutes, he said.
Because of the delay in recruiting a contractor, the completion date has been postponed to 2028, he added.
The estimated funding of the four-year project has slightly increased to NT$2.7641 billion, although the administration might have to budget NT$4 billion to meet the rising operating costs.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lee Kun-tse (李昆澤) said he was “very dissatisfied” with the changes to the project.
“Do you have any idea how many people could be saved in 10 seconds?” Lee said.
The reduction in the early earthquake warning time could be compensated for through the nation’s disaster prevention system, Cheng said, adding that people usually have more time to respond to tsunamis.
Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Kuo-hsien (林國顯) said his ministry would re-evaluate the project and try to find additional funding for it.
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
A drunk woman was sexually assaulted inside a crowded concourse of Taipei Railway Station on Thursday last week before a foreign tourist notified police, leading to calls for better education on bystander intervention and review of security infrastructure. The man, surnamed Chiu (邱), was taken into custody on charges of sexual assault, taking advantage of the woman’s condition and public indecency. Police discovered that Chiu was a fugitive with prior convictions for vehicle theft. He has been taken into custody and is to complete his unserved six-month sentence, police said. On Thursday last week, Chiu was seen wearing a white
RSS