The Executive Yuan yesterday condemned violence and called on everyone to remain calm before tomorrow's elections after a van exploded near the Taipei Train Station yesterday and four suspicious packages were found.
"We hope people stay calm and rational. We have asked the police to strengthen their routine patrols and to protect the safety of all candidates," said Cabinet Spokesman Chen Chi-mai (
PHOTO: SEAN CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES
Chen said he had been told that a note signed by "an anti-independence person from Hsinchu" was found in one of the packages. The note claimed that explosives had been planted at the train station and Taipei 101, he said.
However, no explosives were found in the world's tallest building and Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
National security authorities held discussions with police officials on whether to activate the national security mechanism, but as of press time last night no announcement had been made.
Police are also investigating whether the suspicious packages were connected to the van blast.
Chin Yao-sheng (
The areas were sealed off and the bomb squad was called in to remove the objects.
However, he was reluctant to confirm that a note had been found.
The search of the station was launched after a van exploded in the parking lot on the west side of the station shortly after noon.
According to Chin, railway police were deployed to the parking lot at 12:10pm after three loud explosions were heard. Flames and black smoke was seen billowing from the site.
Taipei City's Fire Department dispatched eight fire engines and two ambulances at 12:13pm and the fire was finally extinguished at 12:45pm.
The van was a nine-person vehicle that had been loaded with 11 20kg gas tanks. The explosion also destroyed two other vehicles parked nearby, Chin said.
No one was hurt, he said.
The van's license plate had been removed but police are trying to trace the owner through the engine number, Chin said. They are also reviewing surveillance tapes from the lot's cameras.
Chin hinted that the blast might be related to the elections.
"I'm afraid that someone is doing this on purpose and trying to sway the elections by creating a terrifying atmosphere," he said.
Yesterday was the second time this year that the train station has been targeted by a bomber.
In March, the "rice bomber," detonated a home-made bomb on a commuter train from Taipei to Chungli.
Although no one was hurt, the train schedule was interrupted for hours.
A suspect in the "rice bomber" case was arrested on Nov. 25 and admitted to 17 bombings and attempted bombings.
Honor guards are to stop performing changing of the guard ceremonies around a statue of Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) to avoid “worshiping authoritarianism,” the Ministry of Culture said yesterday. The fate of the bronze statue has long been the subject of fierce and polarizing debate in Taiwan, which has transformed from an autocracy under Chiang into one of Asia’s most vibrant democracies. The changing of the guard each hour at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei is a major tourist attraction, but starting from 9am on Monday, the ceremony is to be moved outdoors to Democracy Boulevard, outside the eponymous blue-and-white memorial
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) supports peaceful unification with China, and President William Lai (賴清德) is “a bit naive” for being a “practical worker for Taiwanese independence,” former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said in an interview published yesterday. Asked about whether the KMT is on the same page as the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) on the issue of Taiwanese independence or unification with China, Ma told the Malaysian Chinese-language newspaper Sin Chew Daily that they are not. While the KMT supports peaceful unification and is against unification by force, the DPP opposes unification as such and
The government would cancel kendo practitioner Su Yu-cheng’s (蘇郁程) nationality if he is confirmed to have represented China in the World Kendo Championships in Milan, Italy, last week, the Mainland Affairs Council said yesterday. “We have consulted the Sports Administration and were told that athletes participating in the championships must have the nationality of the country that they represent. They must also present their passports as proof,” council spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) told a weekly news conference. “If Su indeed represented China in the championships, we suspect that he has obtained Chinese nationality.” The Act Governing Relations Between the People of the
FATAL ILLNESS: Untreated symptoms can rapidly worsen to complications such as high fever, seizures and loss of consciousness, and can be life-threatening, a doctor said Hospitals have been reporting dozens of people with heat-related illnesses every day over the past week, given continuous high daytime temperatures, so recognizing the early signs of heatstroke is crucial in preventing serious complications, a Taipei City Hospital emergency physician said. The Central Weather Administration yesterday issued a heat alert for 19 cities and counties across Taiwan, with temperatures in New Taipei City, Miaoli County and Pingtung County likely to exceed 38°C, and temperatures in 12 cities and counties likely to exceed 36°C for three days straight. More than a dozen people were taken to hospitals for heat-related illnesses every day from