FOCUS TAIWAN - CNA ENGLISH NEWSToday, 15:15
Taipei, Feb. 13 (CNA) Reconstruction and rehabilitation following damage and losses caused by the magnitude 6.4 earthquake that battered southern Taiwan last week are set to begin, with the Executive Yuan scheduled to hold a meeting Sunday for discussions on what sources and regulations can be used for the work.
Vice Premier Duh Tyzz-jiun (杜紫軍) announced Saturday the planned meeting on the priority for matters regarding earthquake-caused damage and losses. The relevant authorities will be asked to investigate the regulations and budgets for reconstruction and rehabilitation needs, he said.
"The central government will cooperate with local governments to assist in the reconstruction in the most efficient and flexible way," Duh said in a working meeting at the Central Emergency Operations Center.
Sunday's meeting is believed to be a preview meeting for the Executive Yuan's planned central disaster prevention and control meeting scheduled for Feb. 17, according to a United Daily News report.
Meanwhile, Deputy Interior Minister Chen Chwen-jing (陳純敬) said he has instructed the relevant authorities to continue the evaluation of damaged buildings, shelter for people rendered homeless, and the work of follow-up mental health consultations for those affected.
The National Fire Agency under the Ministry of the Interior will keep in touch with the city government of Tainan, the worst-hit area, to gain knowledge of the rescue work so that it can provide aid if needed, he added.
Also, with the weather becoming warmer, the health authorities will provide necessary assistance in terms of hygiene and quarantine in the quake-effected areas to prevent the outbreak of infectious diseases, Chen said.
Currently, some 5,000 households in Tainan are still without water.
As of 2 p.m., the death toll caused by the Feb. 6 earthquake had increased to 115, 113 of whom were found in the rubble of a collapsed apartment complex in Yongkang District of Tainan.
(By Tseng Ying-yu and Elizabeth Hsu; clickhere for the full coverage of the earthquake aftermath.)
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