Seventeen people were killed and 156 injured when a mountain train derailed on a bridge in Alishan yesterday.
Most of the injured suffered fractures or breathing difficulties. Four of the dead were children.
Yesterday's accident was the worst of the 10 that have taken place on the Alishan railway since 1962, according to the Taiwan Forestry Bureau which is responsible for the railway's operation.
PHOTO: YANG KUO-TANG, TAIPEI TIMES
The accident took place at 2:07pm, shortly after the train, carryings around 200 people, departed from Alishan Railway Station.
The train was composed of four carriages, of which three derailed with one tumbling 6m into a chasm by the side of the track.
"The cars suddenly left the rails and fell over," one female passenger -- her face and hands streaked with blood -- told FTV cable news from a hospital bed.
"The car was filled with people. Some were standing," said the woman, who wasn't identified. "I looked at my daughter and saw her internal organs. I don't know where my daughter is now."
Witnesses said the tragedy might have occurred because the train was traveling too fast.
Police have detained the train driver, who said that the brakes on the train failed, a claim backed up by initial investigations into the causes of the crash.
The ruggedness of the mountain terrain and limited road access to the area made rescue operations very difficult, rescuers said.
Helicopters were dispatched to help evacuate injured passengers.
The derailment tragedy was nearly compounded when one helicopter, packed with injured travelers, was forced to make an emergency landing after catching its tail on a tree as it was taking off.
Fortunately, all 15 people on the helicopter, five crew and 10 injured travelers, were safe after the emergency landing.
All passengers on the train were evacuated by 4:39pm. The injured were sent to local hospitals.
The Council of Agriculture said yesterday that the families of those who died may claim at least NT$4.1 million in compensation from the railway system's travel insurance.
The Alishan train service has been completely suspended since the accident. There is as yet no indication of when it might restart
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) cancelled his schedule, which involved watching a baseball game in Taipei, because of the tragedy. Chen, still managing to preside over the game's opening ceremony, apologized for his unexpected departure.
Premier Yu Shyi-kun asked government agencies to offer any help they could to the rescue operations
Minister of National Defense Tang Yao-ming (湯曜明) dispatched soldiers to join the rescue operations immediately after being informed of the accident.
Soldiers bringing medical kits and warm clothing arrived at the scene at 3:30pm. Two helicopters were deployed to help transport the injured.
RESILIENCE: Deepening bilateral cooperation would extend the peace sustained over the 45 years since the Taiwan Relations Act, Greene said Taiwan-US relations are built on deep economic ties and shared values, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Raymond Greene said yesterday, adding that strengthening supply chain security in critical industries, enhancing societal resilience through cooperation and deepening partnerships are key to ensuring peace and stability for Taiwan in the years ahead. Greene made the remarks at the National Security Youth Forum, organized by National Taiwan University’s National Security and Strategy Studies Institution in Taipei. In his address in Mandarin Chinese, Greene said the Taiwan-US relationship is built on deep economic ties and shared interests, and grows stronger through the enduring friendship between
GAINING STEAM: The scheme initially failed to gather much attention, with only 188 cards issued in its first year, but gained popularity amid the COVID-19 pandemic Applications for the Employment Gold Card have increased in the past few years, with the card having been issued to a total of 13,191 people from 101 countries since its introduction in 2018, the National Development Council (NDC) said yesterday. Those who have received the card have included celebrities, such as former NBA star Dwight Howard and Australian-South Korean cheerleader Dahye Lee, the NDC said. The four-in-one Employment Gold Card combines a work permit, resident visa, Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) and re-entry permit. It was first introduced in February 2018 through the Act Governing Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (外國專業人才延攬及雇用法),
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications yesterday said that it would redesign the written portion of the driver’s license exam to make it more rigorous. “We hope that the exam can assess drivers’ understanding of traffic rules, particularly those who take the driver’s license test for the first time. In the past, drivers only needed to cram a book of test questions to pass the written exam,” Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) told a news conference at the Taoyuan Motor Vehicle Office. “In the future, they would not be able to pass the test unless they study traffic regulations
‘COMING MENACINGLY’: The CDC advised wearing a mask when visiting hospitals or long-term care centers, on public transportation and in crowded indoor venues Hospital visits for COVID-19 last week increased by 113 percent to 41,402, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday, as it encouraged people to wear a mask in three public settings to prevent infection. CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Deputy Director Lee Chia-lin (李佳琳) said weekly hospital visits for COVID-19 have been increasing for seven consecutive weeks, and 102 severe COVID-19 cases and 19 deaths were confirmed last week, both the highest weekly numbers this year. CDC physician Lee Tsung-han (李宗翰) said the youngest person hospitalized due to the disease this year was reported last week, a one-month-old baby, who does not