Chiayi: Firefighters of the Chiayi County Fire Bureau on Monday rescued five Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower) workers and five members of the public trapped on flooded vehicles in the southern county’s Puzi City. The fire bureau responded to a report of a Taipower truck caught in heavy floodwaters around noon, dispatching firefighters to the scene.

According to Focus Taiwan, the workers, who had taken refuge on the truck bed, were rescued using a lifeboat along with five other individuals trapped in three nearby cars. Fortunately, no injuries were reported among those rescued. The Taipower workers were conducting repairs in the area when sudden heavy rains escalated, causing floodwaters to rise to chest level.

The county’s education department stated that most junior high schools and elementary schools in Puzi and Taibao City experienced flooding, with Puzi Junior High School being severely affected. Additionally, several low-lying villages in Xingang Township experienced flooding up to thigh level, with livestock at risk as mature pigs struggled to keep their heads above the water.

The Central Weather Administration reported that Taibao, Puzi, Xingang, Lucao Township, Shuishang Township, Liujiao Township, and Yizhu Township in Chiayi County each recorded over 350 millimeters of rainfall within 24 hours, meeting the criteria for torrential rain. Taibao alone accumulated 442.5 mm of rainfall, as per agency data.