erday afternoon, and her whereabouts became a mystery after learning that all 13 other members of her delegation were questioned by investigation agents and prosecutors immediately after they returned to Taitung Feng Nien airport. Kuang arrived in Taoyuan International Airport early yesterday morning amid harsh criticism for being away on a 13-day trip to Europe as leader of a 14-member delegation while her county was being pounded by Typhoon Fung-Wong.
Kuang extended her apology to Taitung residents for being absent as the typhoon devastated her southeast coastal county last week.
The storm brought heavy rains and flooding to central and southern Taiwan, claiming two lives, including one in Taitung, and causing an estimated NT$1.1 billion (US$35.8 million) in agricultural losses.
Kuang also complemented other county officials, including her deputy, for their excellent teamwork spirit in handling the local government's response to the typhoon.
She added that although she was abroad when Fung-Wong made landfall between Taitung and Hualien last Monday, she had monitored information about the typhoon's movement and damage.
Kuang explained that her travels aimed to promote Taitung, which she said was a "dispossessed" place that "no one cares" about in the international community.
However, that explanation failed to calm a storm of discontent with her and Taichung Mayor Jason Hu, also from the ruling Kuomintang.
Kuang and Hu were the only two of the nation's 25 city and county chiefs who were not on the island when the typhoon came.
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