Three workers were killed and two injured after scaffolding at a construction site collapsed in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽), the New Taipei City Fire Department said yesterday.
The incident occurred at about 1pm, when the three-story-high scaffolding collapsed for an unknown reason, the department said.
The construction is part of an elevated section of the MRT metro rail’s Sanying Line.
Photo: Weng Yu-huang, Taipei Times
One of the workers who died in the collapse was from Thailand, while the other two were Taiwanese, the New Taipei City Labor Affairs Department said.
The two injured workers — one Taiwanese and one Thai — had leg fractures, the fire department said, adding that the Ministry of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration would investigate.
All work at the site has been suspended pending an investigation to determine the cause of the accident, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said.
Construction on the Sanying Line is difficult, because it involves many elevated sections over rivers and highways, he said.
The city government would do everything in its power help the injured, while all necessary assistance would be provided to the families of the three men who died in the collapse, he added.
An initial investigation found the cause of the accident to be loose fasteners on a horizontal section of the scaffolding, Occupational Safety and Health Administration head Chiang Tsung-lung (江宗龍) said.
Contractor RSEA Engineering Corp (榮工工程) could face a fine of up to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), if found responsible, he said.
Additional reporting by Weng Yu-huang
SUPPORT: Arms sales to NATO Plus countries such as Japan, South Korea and Israel only have to be approved by the US Congress if they exceed US$25m The US should amend a law to add Taiwan to the list of “NATO Plus” allies and streamline future arms sales, a US commission said on Tuesday in its annual report to the US Congress. The recommendation was made in the annual report by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC), which contained chapters on US-China economic and trade ties, security relations, and Taiwan and Hong Kong. In the chapter on Taiwan, the commission urged the US Congress to “amend the Arms Export Control Act of 1976 to include Taiwan on the list of ‘NATO Plus’ recipients,” referring to
Taiwan yesterday advanced to the gold medal match of the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Premier12 for the first time in history, despite last night losing 9-6 to Japan. Taiwan advanced after the US defeated Venezuela in the first game on the last day of the Super Round. However, the US had no chance of advancing to the championship game unless it defeated Venezuela by at least nine points. The US won 6-5. As a result, the two teams — who both had one win and two losses in the Super Round — are to face off again in the
Minister of Labor Ho Pei-shan (何佩珊) said she would tender her resignation following criticism of her handling of alleged bullying by Ministry of Labor Workforce Development Agency branch director Hsieh Yi-jung (謝宜容) resulting in the death of an employee. The ministry yesterday gave Hsieh two demerits and said she is subject to review by the Disciplinary Court. The severest possible punishment would be her removal from office and being barred from government jobs indefinitely. Workforce Development Agency Director-General Tsai Meng-liang (蔡孟良) also received a major demerit and was transferred to another position. Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) issued a formal apology
FREEDOM CURTAILED: The conviction of 45 democracy advocates proves the ‘unworkability’ of Beijing’s ‘one country, two systems’ model, the Presidential Office said Taiwan yesterday condemned China over the jailing of 45 Hong Kong activists, saying “democracy is not a crime.” The government “strongly condemned the Chinese government’s use of judicial measures and unfair procedures to suppress the political participation and freedom of speech of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy activists,” Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said in a statement. International condemnation of the jailings has been swift, with the US, Australia and rights groups slamming the sentencing as evidence of the erosion of political freedoms in the territory since Beijing imposed a national security law in 2020. Yesterday’s sentencing “not only breaks the promises of ‘50
RSS