President Lai pledges extra aid during Hualien inspection

Hualien, Oct. 5 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Sunday announced an additional NT$200,000 (US$6,200) per household in subsidies for home repairs in flood-hit areas of Hualien during an inspection of recovery efforts following last month's overflow of the Matai'an Creek barrier lake.

Visiting Fozu Street in Guangfu Township, one of the worst-hit areas, Lai said the new subsidy would supplement existing government assistance, which includes NT$1 million for each fatality or missing person, NT$250,000 for those seriously injured, NT$100,000 per household in condolence payments, and NT$50,000 for cleanup work.

Earlier, Lai received a briefing at the Hualien Sugar Factory from Chi Lien-cheng (季連成), a chief coordinator at the Central Emergency Operation Center (CEOC), who reported 18 deaths, 157 injuries, and six people still missing as of Sunday.

Chi said major road cleanup was 95 percent complete and expected to reach 98 percent by the end of the day, while four local schools, including National Kuangfu Commercial and Industrial Vocational High School, were scheduled to reopen Tuesday.

He added that about 30 kilometers of blocked roadside drains were being cleared and should be finished by Oct. 18.

A temporary culvert bridge over the washed-out Matai'an Creek bridge is expected to open by Oct. 15, followed by a steel bridge in January 2026 and a permanent bridge by late 2027, Chi said.

The Ministry of Agriculture will also open a one-stop center in Guangfu on Tuesday to process aid and subsidy applications from affected farmers, according to Chi.

Hualien County Magistrate Hsu Chen-wei (徐榛蔚) urged the central government to help stabilize temporary levees and drainage systems, warning that clogged ditches could trigger further flooding.

Legislator Fu Kun-chi (傅崐萁) also highlighted severe sediment buildup and raised the possibility of relocating some villages.

Hsu reiterated that around 6 million cubic meters of silt have buried more than 400 hectares of farmland and homes, stressing the need for complete removal.

Lai reiterated that "the central government will fully support local efforts," adding that proposals will be reviewed through the disaster response command center.

In addition, he outlined four recovery priorities -- monitoring river levels, reinforcing embankments, removing silt and improving evacuation plans -- to lower the current red-level alert.

Lai also praised local and international volunteers and urged agencies to work swiftly to locate the six missing people.