Taipei, Sept. 18 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian continued to inspect various areas in Taipei that were ravaged by Typhoon Nari as government offices, financial markets, schools and most businesses in the capital city remained closed for a second day Tuesday.
Donning rubber boots and wearing a solemn expression on his face, Chen listened to briefings on ongoing disaster relief operations as he stood on the basement train platform at the Taipei Main Station. The station had been completely flooded like many other basement areas around the city the previous day, when Nari dumped record-breaking amounts of rainfall on northern Taiwan.
The adjacent Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station was still submerged in water Tuesday, although overnight efforts to pump out the brownish yellow water has alleviated the flooding somewhat.
The president instructed all related government agencies to step up their relief efforts and ordered the military to mobilize even more troops to help with rescue and clean-up operations as the typhoon--which has been downgraded to a tropical storm-- stubbornly refused to leave the island, staying stationary over central Taiwan.
Chen also traveled to the city's Nankang and Neihu suburbs to inspect the flood damage there.