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Premier wants further investigation into Siaolin tragedy
2010/02/08 22:10:12 |
Taipei, Feb. 8 (CNA) Premier Wu Den-yih said Monday that the government will invite authoritative foreign groups to further investigate and identify what caused the mudslides that buried almost 500 people alive in a southern Taiwan village last August.
In its report on an investigation into the tragedy released last Monday, the Cabinet-level Public Construction Commission (PCC) cited massive rainfall, rather than a water diversion project, as the main factor that doomed the mountain village in Kaohsiung County during Typhoon Morakot on Aug. 8 last year.
But many former Siaolin residents who survived the tragedy did not find the report convincing, and they demanded a further investigation into the matter to find out the truth. The premier agreed.
"I respect the PCC report, but it's not final since it's not acceptable to many Siaolin residents and environmentalists," Wu said.
In presenting the report, PCC Chairman Fan Liang-shiow, said that the energy released during the explosions set off for the tunnel project was far weaker than the minimum needed to trigger a disaster.
Fingering massive rainfall as the culprit that doomed the mountain village, the report said Siaolin absorbed 1,856 mm of rainfall in 72 hours during the typhoon, well past the critical point in triggering the lethal mudslides that covered the village.
Siaolin residents and environmentalists believe, however, that the explosions set off to build tunnels for the Tsengwen Reservoir water diversion project, as well as other factors including mass stockpiles at gravel yards and overlogging, were also behind the disaster.
At a press conference on the progress in post-Morakot reconstruction, the premier said the government will only decide on whether to continue building tunnels for the water diversion project after foreign groups have reached their conclusions.
Wu said that according to another investigative report by Taiwan's water agency, the area's terrain has changed dramatically, which might make the water diversion project ineffective once it is launched.
Because of that, he said, further studies are necessary. (By Hsieh Chia-chen & Bear Lee) enditem/ls
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