TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The opening ceremony of the 2023 Taiwan Indigenous Games will be held Friday (March 24) but some preliminary activities were interrupted by a powerful gust of wind that swept through Taipei’s Dajia Riverside Park, toppling a large tent.
The wind blasted the riverside park at 3:22 p.m. on Thursday (March 23) and overturned a large steel framed canopy, creating chaos among organizers and bystanders. A Japanese spectator's leg was injured during the incident, reported UDN.
The injured woman was taken to Mackay Memorial Hospital for treatment and given NT$2,000 by the Taipei City Department of Sports as a gesture of condolence.
The overturned tent in Dajia Riverside Park. (Taipei Department of Sports photo)
The chief of the department’s Sports for All Division Yuan Shou-fang (袁守方) said the venue was checked for safety three times prior to Thursday’s incident. The sudden high-velocity gust of wind could not have been anticipated, said Yuan.
After the wind swept through the park, the day's remaining activities, which included boat races and Indigenous wrestling, had to be postponed. Yuan said the city does not expect wind to impact other events taking place over the weekend.
The facilities and venue will be repaired overnight and double checked for safety before the opening ceremony scheduled for Friday. Video of the incident can be seen below.
