13 migrant workers among 36 rescued from river surges amid heavy rain

Taipei, May 11 (CNA) A total of 36 individuals, including 13 migrant workers in Taichung, were rescued this weekend, after they found themselves trapped by river surges caused by heavy rainfall, local authorities said.

The 13 migrant workers were rescued from a sandbar in the Dadu River in Taichung, where they spent the night while on a fishing trip after encountering the unexpected surge of river water early Sunday, the Taichung City Fire Bureau said.

The Fire Bureau dispatched first responders with fire engines and boats after receiving a report about the group being trapped at 5:20 a.m., it said.

All 13 workers were brought to safety at 7:13 a.m., the fire bureau said.

In Hualien County, 23 individuals also reported being trapped on one side of the Baliwan River during a hiking trip on Baliwan Mountain at around 5 p.m. Saturday, an official at the county's Fire Department said on Sunday.

The trekking trip to summit the 992-meter Baliwan Mountain, or what the Indigenous Amis people call "Cilangasan" (sacred mountain), involves crossing the river several times.

The rescue team first delivered food and water using a rope, while waiting for the water level to subside before assisting those trapped to cross the river, said Jian Hong-cheng (簡弘丞), head of the Hualien County Fire Department's search and rescue unit.

The 23 trekkers returned to safety sometime after 11 p.m. Saturday, Jian said.

The Central Weather Administration has issued a series of heavy rain alerts since late Friday, as a rain-bearing weather front passes through Taiwan during the ongoing plum rain season from May to June.

The start of the plum rain season also marked the beginning of a roughly seven-month-long flood season in Taiwan, according to the Water Resources Agency.