Taichung: A total of 36 individuals, including 13 migrant workers in Taichung, were rescued this weekend after they found themselves trapped by river surges caused by heavy rainfall, local authorities said. The 13 migrant workers were rescued from a sandbar in the Dadu River in Taichung, where they spent the night while on a fishing trip after encountering the unexpected surge of river water early Sunday, the Taichung City Fire Bureau reported.

According to Focus Taiwan, the Fire Bureau dispatched first responders with fire engines and boats after receiving a report about the group being trapped at 5:20 a.m. All 13 workers were brought to safety at 7:13 a.m., the fire bureau confirmed. In Hualien County, another 23 individuals reported being trapped on one side of the Baliwan River during a hiking trip on Baliwan Mountain at around 5 p.m. Saturday, an official at the county's Fire Department stated on Sunday.

The trekking trip to summit the 992-meter Baliwan Mountain, known as "Cilangasan" by the Indigenous Amis people, involves crossing the river several times. The rescue team first delivered food and water using a rope, while waiting for the water level to subside before assisting those trapped to cross the river, said Jian Hong-cheng, head of the Hualien County Fire Department's search and rescue unit.

The 23 trekkers returned to safety sometime after 11 p.m. Saturday, Jian noted. The Central Weather Administration has issued a series of heavy rain alerts since late Friday, as a rain-bearing weather front passes through Taiwan during the ongoing plum rain season from May to June. The start of the plum rain season also marked the beginning of a roughly seven-month-long flood season in Taiwan, according to the Water Resources Agency.