Torrential Rain Causes Landslides in Pingtung|屏東山區土石流 獅子.瑪家鄉急停班課

Southern Taiwan has been pummeled by torrential rain. On Aug. 24, landslides occurred on the Zhukeng Road section of Provincial Highway No. 26 in Pingtung County. As the county was the only county in the south that hadn't suspended work and school a day before, many residents were upset. The county government was forced to announce an emergency suspension in two townships on 24 August.


Rocks and mud fall onto the road, turning it into a muddy river. This was the situation at the Zhukeng Road section of Provincial Highway No. 26 in Pingtung County's Shizi Township at 7 a.m. on Aug. 24. The area experienced torrential rain early in the morning, causing landslides. Excavators and other vehicles worked incessantly to clear the road. The road was littered with pieces of trees and rocks, and covered in mud, making it inaccessible to traffic and causing delays of around one hour.

We have merchandise in our vehicle. (It's impossible to get through under these circumstances. How long have you been waiting?) We have been waiting for an hour.

Meanwhile, the fork at the end of Provincial Highway No. 26 and Provincial Highway No. 9 was also covered in water. Fenggang Bridge was closed to traffic after a water level alert was issued. Vehicles had to take Fenggang Viaduct. Pingtung County was the only county or city in southern Taiwan not to suspend work and school as a result of the torrential rain. As a result, there were many public complaints once disaster struck. The county government only announced the suspension of work and school in Shizi Township at 9 a.m. on the day, and then made the same announcement for Majia Township.

We considered (yesterday) that the tropical depression was already heading north, so we believed the rainfall would lessen today. At present, heavy rain is falling in Majia and Shizi, and access bridges have already been flooded. We will re-discuss the matter if the situation worsens and we need to consider a full suspension of work and school.

In Neipu Township, the area around National Pingtung University of Science and Technology was also flooded, and many gutters became fountains.

Flooding occurs whenever it rains (around here). (How long has the flooding been going on? Was it flooded yesterday?)