Thirty-six people, including 13 migrant workers in Taichung, were rescued at the weekend, after they were trapped by river surges caused by heavy rainfall, local authorities said.
The migrant workers were rescued from a sandbar in the Dadu River (大肚溪) in Taichung, where they spent the night while on a fishing trip after encountering the unexpected surge early yesterday, the Taichung City Fire Bureau said.
The bureau dispatched first responders with fire engines and boats after receiving a report about the group being trapped at 5:20am, it said.
Photo copied by Chen Chien-chih, Taipei Times
All 13 workers were brought to safety at 7:13am, it said.
In Hualien County, 23 people also reported being trapped on one side of the Baliwan River (八里灣溪) during a hiking trip on Baliwanshan (八里灣山) at about 5pm on Saturday, an official at the county’s Fire Bureau said yesterday.
The trip to the summit of the 992m mountain, known as Cilangasan to Amis, involves crossing the river several times.
The rescue team delivered food and water using a rope, while waiting for the water level to subside, said Jian Hong-cheng (簡弘丞), head of the Hualien County Fire Department’s search-and-rescue unit.
The 23 hikers returned to safety sometime after 11pm on Saturday, Jian said.
The Central Weather Administration has issued heavy rain alerts since late on Friday, as a rain-bearing weather front passes through Taiwan during the plum rain season from May to June.
The start of the plum rain season also marked the beginning of an about seven-month-long flood season in Taiwan, the Water Resources Agency said.
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