Tunnelling work and damage to underground drainage culverts on an extension to Taipei’s mass transit system in Taiwan has been blamed for huge flooding in the Sanchung area of the city during Typhoon Aere.
Acting Taipei County magistrate Lin Hsi-yao said lax supervision of construction work by the city government’s Department of Rapid Transit Systems helped cause the flooding. He said initial inspections showed the flooding was caused by damage to box culverts in a drainage tunnel running under the Tamsui River between Sanchung and Taipei.
Construction of the tunnel started last November and was planned to transfer groundwater from the mass transit system to the Tung-an pumping station for treatment. The tunnel provided a conduit for flood water from the Tamsui River when Typhoon Aere struck Taiwan at the end of August.
Taipei mayor Ma Ying-jeou said the city government would wait for an independent evaluation by specialised groups like the Taiwan Civil Engineers Association to identify the real causes of the flooding.
Contractors would be held accountable if they failed to adhere to the design and construction standards stipulated in the contracts.
