CHIAYI (TVBS News) — Torrential rains driven by powerful southwest monsoon winds triggered a massive landslide on Friday (June 13) that severed a vital transportation artery in southern Taiwan. The natural disaster struck Taiwan's Provincial Highway 3 in Zhongpu Township (中埔鄉), a rural area in Chiayi County (嘉義縣), completely blocking traffic with tons of earth and rock debris at the 310-kilometer marker. Authorities reported no injuries in the incident, which occurred in a region known for its vulnerability to landslides during Taiwan's summer rainy season.
The Chiayi County Government, which administers this agricultural region approximately 250 kilometers south of Taipei, received official confirmation of the disaster at 7:32 a.m. from the Highway Bureau's Yunlin-Chiayi-Tainan Region Branch Office (雲嘉南區養護工程分局), the agency responsible for maintaining roadways across three southern Taiwan counties. Officials pinpointed the landslide's exact location at the 310.35-kilometer mark within the environmentally sensitive Zhongpu Township watershed area, a zone that has experienced increased erosion in recent years. The government report emphasized that the landslide had rendered the highway completely impassable in both directions.
Highway maintenance authorities have mobilized emergency response teams equipped with heavy machinery to the disaster zone, though cleanup operations face significant delays due to continuing instability of the hillside. The Yunlin-Chiayi-Tainan Region Branch Office announced that safety protocols require workers to remain on standby until geologists confirm the slope has fully stabilized, preventing potential injuries from unpredictable secondary rockfalls. Through emergency broadcasts and roadside electronic signage, officials have strongly urged motorists to utilize alternative routes through the mountainous region, emphasizing that attempting to approach the blockage could expose travelers to serious safety hazards.
Provincial Highway 3, which serves as a critical north-south transportation corridor connecting multiple agricultural communities across Taiwan's western interior, will remain closed indefinitely according to transportation officials. Local authorities have established a crisis management center to coordinate detour routes and disseminate timely updates to affected communities and commercial vehicles that regularly utilize this mountain highway. The Chiayi County Government has activated its emergency response protocols, deploying additional personnel to manage traffic congestion on secondary roads now bearing the diverted traffic volume. Weather forecasters warn that continued precipitation in the region could further complicate recovery efforts in the coming days. ◼