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進入《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》Tsai thanks emergency workers
From left, Premier Lin Chuan, President Tsai Ing-wen and Minister of the Interior Yeh Jiunn-rong sit in the Central Emergency Operation Center in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Tu Sheng-lun, Taipei Times
DUTY FIRST: Emergency response personnel were working on the front lines despite the strong winds and rain brought by Typhoon Megi, President Tsai Ing-wen said
By Stacy Hsu / Staff reporter
President Tsai Ing-wen （蔡英文） yesterday instructed government officials to adhere to the highest standards in identifying damage caused by Typhoon Megi as quickly as possible, while expressing gratitude to emergency workers.
Hours before the eye of Typhoon Megi was expected to make landfall in eastern Taiwan yesterday afternoon, Tsai inspected the Central Emergency Operations Center in the morning to learn about disaster preparation measures.
Tsai was briefed by the Central Weather Bureau and the National Science and Technology Center for Disaster on Typhoon Megi’s latest development upon arrival, before listening to an emergency response report prepared by the Ministry of the Interior.
“Super Typhoon Meranti just left and the damage it caused has yet to be repaired, but now Typhoon Megi is heading toward Taiwan. I request that all relevant government agencies be on their highest guard,” she said.
Tsai said that, despite strong winds and heavy rain brought by the typhoon’s approach, there were still many people working on the front lines, including police officers, firefighters and military personnel, as well as personnel from Taiwan Water Corp, Taiwan Power Co, the Taiwan Railways Administration and Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp.
“Whether you are waiting on standby or already out on a repair and rescue mission, your great service has been recognized by me, Premier Lin Chuan （林全） and all government agencies,” Tsai said.
Urging the center to cooperate with local governments in sharing typhoon-related information and allocating resources, Tsai called on government agencies at all levels to help the nation ride out Typhoon Megi.
Later yesterday, Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang （黃重諺） dismissed an article published by the Chinese-language United Daily News on its Web site saying that Tsai spent only 20 minutes at the center, during which she read from a prepared script for two minutes, leaving reporters on the scene stunned.
“I struggled when deciding whether to write this, but the public deserves to know the truth,” Huang said on Facebook.
Huang said Tsai arrived at the center at 9am and left at about 9:50am, during which time she was briefed by Lin and government agency heads about the latest situation, before hearing reports by the ministry and other organizations.
“Each one of us at the center went through the briefings. You would only feel ‘stunned’ if you were sleeping and suddenly awoke for an unknown reason,” Huang said.
Huang added that people who dumped their ideologies on their readers on a typhoon day — when everyone else was helping rescue and emergency relief efforts — made themselves part of the disaster.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
A basketball court in Taipei’s Guting Riverside Park is submerged by swollen river water yesterday. Photo: CNA
Pedestrians in Taipei yesterday struggle to walk through powerful wind and rain brought by Typhoon Megi. Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
Water surges across a road in New Taipei City’s Sindian District yesterday, cutting off access to Wulai. Photo: CNA, courtesty of the New Taipei City Fire Department
A motorcyclist is blown over as Typhoon Megi hits Hualien yesterday. Photo: Reuters
