Taipei: A road collapse and subsequent gas leak on Wednesday morning at the redevelopment site of Formosa Plastics Group's (FPG) former headquarters in Taipei's Songshan District necessitated the evacuation of nearby residents and the imposition of traffic restrictions, as reported by authorities and the company.
According to Focus Taiwan, Taipei's Fire Department was alerted at 10:42 a.m. about the road collapse in Alley 16, Lane 199, Dunhua North Road, which resulted in a sinkhole measuring approximately 4 meters long, 2 meters wide, and 1 meter deep. A noticeable smell of gas at the location suggested a ruptured gas pipeline.
In response, firefighters secured the area, evacuated residents nearby, enforced traffic restrictions, and informed relevant Taipei City government agencies to evaluate the situation. The gas company promptly halted the gas supply while emergency crews managed the incident.
Formosa Plastics Group confirmed that the incident happened at the construction site of its former headquarters' redevelopment. The company stated that a minor collapse of the site's diaphragm wall led to the damage of a nearby gas pipeline, resulting in the leak.
Emergency response efforts are ongoing, FPG noted, and they committed to providing a detailed explanation of the incident's cause along with the project's general contractor after completing an initial assessment.
Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an inspected the site at approximately 1:30 p.m. and announced that the city had suspended work at the construction site. The contractor was also instructed to immediately backfill the excavation to stabilize the area.
The cause of the collapse is still being investigated. Kuomintang (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Chin Huei-chu, who visited the site following complaints from local residents, mentioned that residents were worried that the construction work might have compromised the ground beneath nearby buildings, potentially threatening the structural safety of neighboring properties.
As of press time, no injuries have been reported.