His political career was cut short, however, when he took responsibility for the Pachang Creek (八掌溪) incident, which claimed the lives of four workers when rescuers failed to arrive in time.
Yu's departure made him the shortest serving vice premier in the nation's history, his term lasting just five months. Although Yu claimed that his choice to resign was his and his alone, it is believed that the decision came directly from the president himself in a bid to help quell discontent by showing that high-ranking government officials should bear the responsibity for mistakes made on their watch.
Along with Yu, the National Fire Administration Director Chen Hung-yi (陳弘毅) and National Police Administration Director-General Ting Yuan-chin (丁原進) also resigned.
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