This Tuesday morning, the Central Emergency Operation Center (CEOC) held a meeting regarding the Fata’an River disaster in Hualien. The Cabinet has determined that Typhoon Ragasa and subsequent heavy rains were responsible for the landslide and have decided to create a special budget for post-disaster reconstruction in the area.

Deputy Economic Minister Lai Chien-hsin (賴建信) said 1,600 homes in the disaster area still need to be cleared, with the first phase of cleanup expected to be completed before Mid-Autumn Festival. A red alert remains in place for the landslide area as the overflow outlet continues to erode and the slopes on both sides are still unstable. 

According to Lai, a great deal of heavy equipment is still needed in the disaster area. CEOC Deputy Commander and Transportation Ministry Chief Secretary Shen Hui-hung (沈慧虹) has instructed the relevant departments to dispatch resources accordingly. Shen said that more than 500 people have been injured while desilting the site and reminded all disaster relief workers and volunteers to mind their own safety.