Taipei to probe cause of mudslide claiming 2 lives

Local media reports said that the family of the victims blamed Ma Ying-jeou, presidential candidate of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and former Taipei mayor, for the tragedy.

The incident took place on Qingshan (Green Mountain) Path in Yangmingshan (Mt. Sunshine) in Taipei City’s northern suburb.

The 63-year-old father surnamed Chiu and his 43-year-old son were confirmed to have been killed early yesterday morning after their home was buried by a mudslide Saturday.

The reports said that the family sent e-mail messages to then Mayor Ma in 2004 mentioning the precarious situation their home was in, but the problem was not solved.

Mayor Hau said Ma was unlikely to be personally aware of the case since more than 10,000 messages flowed into the mayor’s e-mail box every month and all the relevant issues and complaints have been distributed to respective departments or agencies for actions.

He said the city government has asked prosecutors to make a probe into the cause of the incident.

Lo Chih-chiang, a spokesman for Ma said the former mayor was saddened by the incident and expressed deep sympathy for the Chiu family.

But Lo said the unfortunate incident should not be used by politicians to attack the presidential candidate.

He called for professional investigation into the case by experts, but politicians with ulterior motives should not take advantage of the hapless case to sling mud at the presidential candidate or they will have to face legal actions, Lo added.

Chen Hsiung-wen, chief of the city government’s Industrial Development Bureau (formerly called the Department of Economic Development), confirmed the Chiu family located at No. 21 of Xinan Road did send a message to the city government in 2004.

But the issue was a complaint about a reconstruction work of a neighbor’s house at No. 32 of Xinan Road as well as the road and drainage repairing work and a pet restaurant nearby, Chen explained.

Chen said there is quite a distance between the Chiu family and their neighbor.

He said the Chiu family made same complain to the li chief at the same time when sending the message to the city government. A “li” in Taiwan is a community comprised of several hundred households. It ranks above “lin” (neighborhood) that is composed of at least 10 households and below district administration.

Chen said the wooden house of the Chiu family was built in 1936 and renovated in 1968.

He pointed out that the Lin family behind the Chiu family had built a wall to block possible landslide, but there was no change in the area during the past five years.

But Chen said his department just found that there was a new layer of topsoil 1.5 meters deep added to the old wall.

The massive water from heavy rain brought by Typhoon Krosa could have added enough weight to cause the crumpling of the wall, he said.

But the real reason is still under investigation, he added.

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