TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Sirens will sound in different parts of Taiwan later this month for the annual edition of the Wan An air raid drills, the Ministry of National Defense said Tuesday (July 12).
While drivers will be expected to halt and park their vehicles by the side of the road while staying inside from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m., in three neighborhoods across Taiwan, all pedestrians, drivers and passengers will also have to seek refuge inside air raid shelters, the Liberty Times reported.
The military said it will require the Guangju neighborhood in Taipei City’s Xinyi District, the Fengle neighborhood in Taichung City’s Nantun District, and the Dongqiao area in Tainan City’s Yongkang District to stay inside during the drills. Strengthening the effectiveness of civil defense was a key consideration, according to ministry officials.
The military reminded the public that 105,000 bomb shelters were available across the country in an emergency, with a full list to be consulted via a National Police Agency app.
The 45th edition of the Wan An drills will take place in different regions of Taiwan on different days. The event will launch in Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung, Taoyuan, Yilan, Hsinchu City, and Hsinchu County July 25. The following day, sirens will sound in Miaoli, Taichung, Changhua, Nantou, Yunlin, Chiayi City, and Chiayi County.
July 27 will see air raid drills take place in Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung. Hualien, Taitung, and the outlying islands of Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu will play their part July 28.