After the magnitude 6.3 earthquake in Ruisui Township, Hualien County at 8:02 p.m. last night, Premier Jiang Yi-huah, Vice Premier Mao Chi-kuo and Executive Yuan Secretary-General Chen Wei-zen went to the Executive Yuan to get apprised of the situation and personally oversee the government's response.
The premier, concerned that damage from the quake may be compounded if the typhoon periphery passing through northern and eastern Taiwan unleashes heavy rain which causes landslides, ordered the Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Council of Agriculture and relevant local government agencies to look out for the safety of mountainous areas and roads.
As of 4 a.m. today, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications' Central Weather Bureau was still posting heavy rain alerts. The island will continue to be influenced by the peripheral circulation of Typhoon Krosa for the next three days, with northern and eastern areas possibly seeing torrential rain, the agency forecasts. Furthermore, aftershocks from the earthquake are possible.
The Executive Yuan urged citizens visiting mountainous regions to look out for their personal safety and be wary of the possibility that heavy rain could cause rocks to fall onto their paths.