Troops deployed around island, prepare for emergencies

The evacuated people were mostly from indigenous communities in the mountains of Kaohsiung County, including Liuguei Village, which had been hit hard by floods and mudslides during Typhoon Morakot in August, the officials said.

About 700 military personnel also had been dispatched to the most risky regions for disaster prevention and rescue action should the need arise, the officials said.

In Pingtung and Nantou counties, residents of Morakot-hit villages were also evacuated as a precaution.

“We asked them to leave, though some villagers complained that they would not be able to enjoy Moon Festival (at home),” said Lin Chun-chieh, head of Liuguei.

“But I told them we needed to get over the danger first, and we would still have Moon Festival next year,” said Lin.

More villagers from other mountain areas, including Ali Mountain in Chiayi County, are expected to be evacuated today.

Last night, the Central Weather Bureau said a land warning would probably be issued.

Taiwan learned a bitter lesson in August when Typhoon Morakot hit southern and central parts of the island with record rainfalls, triggering massive flooding and mudslides that killed hundreds of people.

The government was blamed for failing to issue proper warnings or organize necessary evacuations.

The military was also faulted for their slow response with rescue efforts in the wake of Morakot.

“If evacuation is necessary, we need to implement it thoroughly so as to avoid any irreparable tragedies,” said Premier Wu Den-yih, as he inspected the precautionary measures being taken by Pingtung authorities against Parma.

The premier said military troops have already made careful deployments around the island in order to minimize any damage done by Parma.

The Defense Ministry said commanders of all military units had canceled their Moon Festival holiday, and are standing by for Parma.

Vice Defense Minister Huang Yi-ping said some 35,000 military troops have been deployed in Taiwan proper and outlying islands.

Vice Premier Eric Chu said military troops have been deployed in Taipei City and County.

He said disaster-prevention work needs close cooperation between the central and local governments.

Interior Minister Jiang Yih-huah, who commands the national disaster response center, gave his assurances that the government is being given the most updated typhoon-related information.

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