Road Surface Burst on Banqiao County Civic Boulevard, High-Voltage Power Lines Suspected Cause

New Taipei City, April 14 (CNA) – At noon today, a road surface burst occurred at the intersection of County Civic Boulevard Section 2 and Minsheng Road Section 2 in Banqiao District, New Taipei City, startling passersby. Preliminary investigation points to high-voltage power lines as the cause, and Taiwan Power Company is currently making repairs. The incident, which occurred at 12:38 PM, caused the asphalt road surface to burst, creating a crater of approximately 2 square meters. No injuries were reported, and a temporary power outage in nearby residences has been restored. Legislators Zhang Weiqian and Zhou Shengkao have called for accountability and a comprehensive inspection of high-voltage lines by Taiwan Power Company. Director-General Feng Zhaolin of the Public Works Department confirmed that the burst was caused by an underground 20,000-volt high-voltage cable.