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.
ANNOUNCEMENT: People who do not comply with the ban after a spoken warning would be reported to the police, the airport company said on Friday Taoyuan International Airport Corp on Friday announced that riding on vehicles, including scooter-suitcases (also known as “scootcases”), bicycles, scooters and skateboards, is prohibited in the airport’s terminals. Those using such vehicles should manually pull them or place them on luggage trolleys, the company said in a Facebook post. The ban intends to maintain order and protect travelers’ safety, as the airport often sees large crowds of people, it said, adding that it has stepped up publicity for the regulation, and those who do not comply after a spoken warning would be reported to the police. The company yesterday said that
QUIET START: Nearly a week after applications opened, agencies did not announce or promote the program, nor did they explain how it differed from other visitor visas Taiwan has launched a six-month “digital nomad visitor visa” program for foreign nationals from its list of visa-exempt countries who meet financial eligibility criteria and provide proof of work contracts. To apply, foreign nationals must either provide proof that they have obtained a digital nomad visa issued by another country or demonstrate earnings based on age brackets, the Bureau of Consular Affairs said. Applicants aged 20 to 29 must show they earned an annual salary of at least US$20,000 or its equivalent in one of the past two years, while those aged 30 or older must provide proof they earned US$40,000 in
UNITY MESSAGE: Rather than focusing on what Trump said on the campaign trail about Taiwan, Taipei should be willing to engage with the US, Pompeo said Taiwan plays a key role in Washington’s model of deterrence against China, former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said in a speech in Taipei yesterday. During US president-elect Donald Trump’s first term, “we had developed what we believe was a pretty effective model of deterrence against adversaries who wanted to undermine the set of rules and values that the people of Taiwan and the people of the US hold dear,” Pompeo said at a forum organized by the Formosa Republican Association. “Succeeding in continuing to build this model will not solely rest at the feet of president Trump and his team,
TECH CORRIDOR: Technology centers and science parks in the south would be linked, bolstering the AI, semiconductor, biotech, drone, space and smart agriculture industries The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a “Southern Silicon Valley” project to promote the development of an artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor industry in Chiayi County, Tainan, Pingtung County and Kaohsiung. The plan would build an integrated “S-shaped semiconductor industry corridor” that links technology centers and science parks in the south, Executive Yuan spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said yesterday after a Cabinet meeting. The project would bolster the AI, semiconductor, biotech, drone, space and smart agriculture industries, she said. The proposed tech corridor would be supported by government efforts to furnish computing power, workforce, supply chains and policy measures that encourage application and integration
RSS