Six workers died when scaffolding collapsed near the Beishan Interchange (北山交流道) in Nantou County on Freeway No. 6 yesterday afternoon, in the worst industrial accident since construction of the new freeway began.
The National Expressway Engineering Bureau (NEEB) reported that another three workers were injured in the accident and were being treated at the Puli Christian Hospital at press time last night.
At press time, rescuers were still trying to locate one other worker who was believed to be buried in the wreckage.
Photo: CNA
NEEB chief engineer Lu Jieh-bin (呂介斌) said the accident occurred at 1:45pm when the workers were installing a box girder in the westbound lane of the Beishan Interchange on the freeway.
“When they were grouting, the scaffolds that supported the box girder collapsed and the girder, scaffolds and the workers all fell from a height of 55m,” Lu said, adding that the cause of the accident was under investigation by the Labor Inspection Office.
He said reports showed that 10 workers were at the construction site at the time: three Taiwanese and seven migrant laborers.
To facilitate the rescue effort, the bureau said that it had requested assistance from the 10th Army Corps and from fire department officials.
Meanwhile, the bureau used large machinery and lighting equipment to continue its rescue efforts as night fell.
The Beishan Interchange is located between the Guosing Interchange (國姓交流道) and Ailan Interchange (愛蘭交流道) and will connect Freeway No. 6 to Provincial Highway No. 14 and County Highway No. 147.
Construction of the Beishan Interchange began on Jan. 19 last year and is scheduled to be completed by Jan. 13 next year.
The cost is estimated to be about NT$560 million (US$17.5 million).
Lu said the freeway section where the accident occurred is an overpass bridge that has tunnels at each end. The construction is dangerous by nature as the workers have to work on the higher scaffolds, Lu said, adding that the construction plan had been approved by the Council of Labor Affairs.
LONG FLIGHT: The jets would be flown by US pilots, with Taiwanese copilots in the two-seat F-16D variant to help familiarize them with the aircraft, the source said The US is expected to fly 10 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 70/72 jets to Taiwan over the coming months to fulfill a long-awaited order of 66 aircraft, a defense official said yesterday. Word that the first batch of the jets would be delivered soon was welcome news to Taiwan, which has become concerned about delays in the delivery of US arms amid rising military tensions with China. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the initial tranche of the nation’s F-16s are rolling off assembly lines in the US and would be flown under their own power to Taiwan by way
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
MISSION: The Indo-Pacific region is ‘the priority theater,’ where the task of deterrence extends across the entire region, including Taiwan, the US Pacific Fleet commander said The US Navy’s “mission of deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific theater applies to Taiwan, Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler told the South China Sea Conference on Tuesday. The conference, organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), is an international platform for senior officials and experts from countries with security interests in the region. “The Pacific Fleet’s mission is to deter aggression across the Western Pacific, together with our allies and partners, and to prevail in combat if necessary, Koehler said in the event’s keynote speech. “That mission of deterrence applies regionwide — including the South China Sea and Taiwan,” he
RSS