TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Record numbers of volunteers have flocked to Hualien's Guangfu Township (光復鄉) since Sept. 24, responding to the Matai'an Landslide Lake (馬太鞍溪) overflow crisis. Taiwan Railways Administration (台鐵), the island's national rail operator, reported 357,288 entries and exits at Guangfu Station between Sept. 24 and Sunday (Oct. 5), surpassing last year's total annual passenger volume.
Many Taiwanese traveled to Hualien to aid recovery efforts over Teachers' Day and Mid-Autumn Festival long weekends, major Taiwan holidays celebrating educators and family reunions. Due to limited transportation options in the mountainous region, most volunteers took the train, leading to a surge in passengers at Guangfu Station. Saturday (Oct. 4) saw over 25,000 people exit the station, breaking the previous Teachers' Day long weekend record.
Train tickets from Guangfu Station were in high demand, prompting Taiwan Railways to offer standing tickets on the Tze-Chiang Limited Express (自強號列車) to manage the overwhelming passenger flow. Saturday saw the station record a new high of 51,240 entries and exits, nearly 54 times last year's daily average. The unprecedented surge reflected Taiwan's massive volunteer mobilization for disaster relief efforts in the remote township.
The Hualien County Government (花蓮縣政府) distributed 30,000 brunches to volunteers, nicknamed "Shovel Superheroes" (鏟子超人), during the Mid-Autumn Festival to express gratitude. Matai'an Landslide Lake remains under red alert with a water level of 1,020.3 meters (3,347 feet) and volume of 5.85 million tons. Embankment construction has reached 95% completion, with ongoing reinforcement efforts continuing. ◼