3 men drown at scenic site in Pingtung

Taipei, June 11 (CNA) Three men from Kaohsiung drowned Wednesday while allegedly swimming in a mountain stream at Haishengong, a popular but restricted scenic spot in Pingtung County's Sandimen Township, local authorities said.

The Pingtung Bureau of Fire and Emergency Services received a report at 3:23 p.m. that several people were drowning at a location about a 30-minute hike from the Haishengong parking lot.

Rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the site and emergency responders pulled the three men from the stream, but none showed vital signs at the scene, according to Lee Pin-cheng (李彬正), head of the fire bureau.

They were rushed to hospital but later pronounced dead.

Police identified the victims as two 44-year-old men surnamed Huang (黃) and Kuo (郭), and a 38-year-old man surnamed Lin (林). The three had traveled together from Kaohsiung to spend the day at Haishengong, authorities said.

Officials noted that Haishengong is located on private land and not open to the public.

Rainfall in the mountains during the plum rain and summer flood seasons can quickly cause flash floods, making the area especially dangerous, according to officials, urging visitors to stay away from the site.

Police and prosecutors continue to investigate the cause of the deaths.

According to fire bureau records, four drowning incidents have occurred at Haishengong in the past five years, resulting in six deaths and one injury.