Heavy rain floods southern Taiwan, disrupts transportation

Kaohsiung, Aug. 23 (CNA) Torrential rain continued to batter southern Taiwan on Sunday, causing widespread flooding in Kaohsiung, disrupting light rail services, triggering landslides, and prompting authorities to raise emergency response levels.

According to the Water Resources Agency (WRA), 199 flooding incidents had been reported by 9 a.m. -- 130 in Kaohsiung, 52 in Tainan and 17 in Pingtung County.

In Kaohsiung, floodwaters submerged riverside walkways around the Heart of Love River park in Sanmin District, while several districts including Gushan, Nanzih, Zuoying and Renwu, reported flooding and traffic restrictions.

At the same time, Kaohsiung, Tainan and Pingtung suspended work and classes Sunday as heavy rain inundated roads across the region.

The torrential rain in southern Taiwan was the result of a broad low-pressure system and strong southwesterly winds, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA), which issued extremely heavy rain warnings for Kaohsiung and northern Pingtung on Sunday.

The persistent rain led the Kaohsiung City government to upgrade its flood emergency operations center to Level 1 activation at 1 p.m. as rainfall continued.

Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said 24-hour rainfall exceeded 300 millimeters in several districts, putting heavy pressure on the city's drainage system.

Transportation services were also disrupted.

A Kaohsiung Light Rail train was struck by a fallen tree between the C23 and C24 stations at around 10 a.m., but services resumed after the tree was removed and safety checks were completed.

Police also responded to two landslides involving fallen trees and earth in Renwu District that blocked roads.

In another incident, three people escaped safely after their vehicle became stranded in deep floodwaters in Niaosong District. Police and firefighters assisted them to safety.

In neighboring Pingtung County, 61 people had been evacuated from their residences by noon, while roads in several townships were flooded and scattered trees were toppled.

Ferry services between Donggang and Xiaoliuqiu were suspended Sunday and canceled for Monday due to rough conditions, according to the local government.

The Highway Bureau said it could close a section of Provincial Highway No. 24 later Sunday due to the risk of landslides and falling rocks.

Additionally, the Alishan Forest Railway will suspend all services along its entire line on Monday as the area could be hit with torrential rain, the Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office said.