Pingtung County officials pushed back at politicians who blamed a levee failure on shoddy construction, saying the real cause was three days of extreme rain — a defensive but confident stance from the local government.

• A section of the Linluo drainage levee at Wandan sank and shifted after heavy rain, not because the concrete failed.
• The damaged spot was a temporary patch of sandbags placed after storm damage in June, sitting where an old and new levee meet.
• One day of rain dumped over 300mm on the area, soaking the soil and letting water scour out the ground under the sandbags.
• Crews and heavy machinery were on site within an hour of the breach report, filling the gap to protect nearby villages.
• A permanent repair project worth around NT$18 million is already out for bid, with the contract due to be awarded September 1.

Outlook: Repair work should start in early September, but the political fight over who is to blame is likely to continue.