A small barrier lake has formed on Hualien County's Mataian River (馬太鞍) and is expected to overflow within 24 hours, local authorities announced at noon today.
The new lake has a capacity of around 600,000 tonnes of water — far smaller than the main Mataian River barrier lake about 1km upstream, whose overflow last month left 19 people dead, the Hualien County Government said.
As a precaution, the county has ordered all machinery and personnel to leave the river area immediately.
Photo courtesy of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency
A temporary access road near the Mataian River Bridge on Provincial Highway No. 9 would also be closed if necessary, and drivers are advised to plan alternative routes in advance, the county added.
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