More troops have been deployed to help Kaohsiung clean up the gas explosion sites.
On July 31 a series of massive explosions killed 30 people and injured more than 300 in the southern city of Kaohsiung. The incident was attributed to a leak in an underground petrochemical pipeline. The explosions were so powerful that roads were ripped open, leaving trenches of up to a meter deep. To make matters worse, in the past few days the city was hit by unusually heavy rain, and the explosion sites flooded.
On Saturday Premier Jiang Yi-huah instructed the defense ministry to send more troops to Kaohsiung to help clean up the sites. He also said the central government will dispatch more personnel to the city to provide assistance.
Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control said in a press release on Saturday that it is sending people to Kaohsiung to help prevent a dengue fever outbreak. The explosions last week have made dengue fever control more difficult, as badly damaged drainage systems have resulted in water-filled ditches. The mosquito-borne disease has been on the rise in southern Taiwan, with Kaohsiung being the hardest hit.