Urban resilience drills begin Tuesday

Taipei, July 14 (CNA) Urban resilience drills featuring air raid alerts, public evacuation maneuvers, and disaster relief drills, will be conducted across Taiwan from Tuesday to Friday.

As in the past, the air raid alerts will last for 30 minutes, and once the alerts are lifted, local governments and civil defense groups will follow with relief station, emergency station or disaster relief drills.

Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) urged the public in a Facebook post to remain calm when hearing air raid alerts and receiving mobile notifications, and to follow the instructions of police officers or civil defense personnel on duty when evacuating to a nearby shelter.

According to the Civil Defense Act, those who violate drill regulations are subject to a fine ranging from NT$30,000 (US$1,023) to NT$150,000, Cho said.

By involving the public, the drill aims to raise awareness of the need for preparedness and safety, demonstrate to the international community the Taiwanese people's strong will to defend themselves, and enhance readiness for natural disasters or contingencies, Cho said.

The drills will be conducted in Taichung, Miaoli County, Nantou County and Changhua County on Tuesday and in Kaohsiung and Pingtung County on Wednesday.

They will be held in Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Yilan, Keelung City, Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County on Thursday, and in Hualien County, Taitung County and the outlying Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu islands on Friday.

While the drills will take place from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in eastern Taiwan and the outlying islands, they will be conducted from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. in other regions.

The drills were canceled in Tainan, Chiayi City, Chiayi County and Yunlin County as those areas continue to recover from damage caused by Typhoon Danas, which hit southern Taiwan hard July 6 and 7.