Heavy rain prompts 77 landslide red alerts in northern Taiwan

Taipei, Oct. 22 (CNA) Authorities issued 77 red alerts for potential landslides in New Taipei, Taipei, and Yilan County on Wednesday as heavy rain driven by northeasterly winds and a low-pressure system continued to impact northern Taiwan, the Central Emergency Operations Center (CEOC) said.

New Taipei accounted for 50 of the red alerts, while 144 additional yellow alerts were issued across the northern part of Taiwan, including Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Keelung and Yilan.

One red alert for large-scale landslides was also issued in New Taipei, along with two yellow alerts in Taoyuan and Hsinchu, according to the center.

During a disaster response meeting chaired by Deputy Interior Minister Dong Jian-hong (董建宏), the National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction (NCDR) said Xindian River had reached its first-level flood warning, while the Yuanshanzih Flood Diversion Channel in New Taipei's Ruifang District was operating to ease water levels.

The NCDR warned that low-lying coastal and estuary areas in Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung, and Yilan remain vulnerable to flooding, while mountainous regions in Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung, Yilan, Taoyuan, Hualien and Hsinchu have been designated landslide-prone zones.

In Hualien, monitoring of the Swallow Grotto barrier lake on the Liwu River showed no abnormalities, and authorities plan to begin phased dam excavation on Thursday.

The nearby Mataian River barrier lake has also stabilized, allowing officials to lift its red alert earlier in the day.

As of 4 p.m., a total of 3,046 people had been evacuated from New Taipei, Taipei, Taoyuan, Yilan, Hsinchu, Keelung and Hualien, including 873 from the Liwu River area. Of those, 156 were housed in shelters and 717 stayed with relatives.

Dong said that although the rainfall has eased, agencies should continue monitoring high-risk areas until the Central Weather Administration lifts its heavy rain warning.