By KHT Staff
KAOHSIUNG — Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said Wednesday, Aug. 26, that he called Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨) mayoral candidate and lawmaker Ko Chih-en (柯志恩) after she climbed from a stalled car in floodwater while inspecting damage in Alian District (阿蓮區). Chen said he reminded her that disaster inspections are demanding and safety must come first, according to the United Daily News.
Ko’s vehicle stalled at about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25, on Tandi Road (潭底路) while her team was heading toward Yuku Community (玉庫社區), NextApple News reported. With the car stuck and a door unable to open normally in the high water, an assistant helped Ko leave through the front passenger window.
Ko then continued on foot through the floodwater. In comments reported by Yahoo Taiwan, she said visiting affected areas provided an understanding of residents’ difficulties that could not be gained solely from office briefings.
Footage of the incident prompted debate over the safety of the trip. Chen said Yuku and Tandi Road are in a low-lying area where water can rise rapidly during heavy rain, and advised drivers not to enter roads when they can see flooding ahead.
The United Daily News reported that Chen accompanied President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Tuesday to inspect the Wujiawei detention basin (五甲尾滯洪池), downstream on the Tuku drainage system (土庫排水).
Chen said the city is seeking, rather than has secured, NT$1.38 billion from the central government to build a Tuku detention basin near Yuku. He also proposed adding a pumping station to increase drainage capacity.
A detention basin temporarily stores stormwater, while a pumping station removes accumulated water from low-lying areas. Chen said using both measures could reduce flooding along the upper and middle sections of the Tuku drainage system.
