Heavy rain causes flooding in Taoyuan, power outages in Kaohsiung

Taipei, April 13 (CNA) Heavy rain brought by a passing weather front on Saturday has caused flooding in several areas in the northern Taiwan city of Taoyuan, while power outages and traffic disruption were reported in Kaohsiung in the south on Sunday.

As the result of heavy precipitation coupled with strong winds starting Saturday afternoon, flooding was reported in 15 areas in Taoyuan, including Zhongli, Pingzhen, Bade, Guanyin, and Luzhu early Sunday morning, with the condition in Zhongli the most serious, according to the city government's water resources department.

Moreover, torrential rain led to a live high-voltage wire snapping in Kaohsiung's Gangshan District around 12:30 a.m. Sunday, leaving 1,350 households in several areas without power, the city's fire department said.

After repairs, power was restored to the households as of 3:35 a.m., according to Taiwan Power Co.'s Kaohsiung branch.

Falling rocks triggered by downpours also disrupted traffic on a section of the Southern Cross-Island Highway starting at the 29km marker of Provincial Highway 20 Temporary Access Road 105 in Jiasien, Kaohsiung.

That section of the highway was set to reopen later Sunday, according to the Southern Region Branch Office under the Highway Bureau.