Taipei: A newly formed barrier lake on Matai’an Creek in Hualien County is believed to have burst on Tuesday night, prompting the evacuation of nearly 100 residents downstream. The Hualien branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency noted that around 9 p.m., a micro-seismograph detected water movement, indicating a potential overflow. The situation remains under close observation.

According to Focus Taiwan, the Guangfu Township Office reported that a total of 97 residents from the downstream Atomo community in Dongfu Village were evacuated by 7 p.m. The evacuees found shelter either in a township facility or with relatives, while five other residents opted to move to the upper floor of their homes for safety.

In response to the situation, a temporary access road near Matai’an Creek Bridge on Provincial Highway No. 9 was closed at 7:30 p.m., as confirmed by the Highway Bureau’s Eastern Region Branch Office. The Hualien County government stated that the new lake had formed earlier on Tuesday and was expected to overflow within 24 hours. The lake holds a capacity of approximately 600,000 tons of water, significantly smaller than the main Matai’an Creek barrier lake located about a kilometer upstream. Last month, the larger lake overflowed and collapsed, resulting in 19 fatalities.