About 200 people were evacuated from seven villages in Hualien County in advance, and the bridge piles were closed to prevent collapse.

In response to the fact that the newly formed barrier lake in the upper reaches of Wanli River is nearly full, the Hualien County Government evacuated about 200 people from seven villages yesterday and closed three bridge piles to prevent disasters caused by the collapse. The Hualien Forest Bureau stated that the water level of the barrier lake has reached 40% to 60%, and it is expected to burst within 48 hours. In September last year, the Mataian River barrier lake burst, killing 19 people and flooding more than 1,600 households. Non-party Minister of State Ji Liancheng said that the barrier lake is about 20 kilometers upstream of Wanrong Township, about 1 kilometer above sea level, and has a capacity of about 6 million cubic meters. If it breaks out, it will have a major impact on the downstream. ...

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Photo: The Hualien County Government evacuated residents of Fenglin Township to a safe location yesterday. Photo: Hua Mingjin, Taipei Times