The crash of TransAsia Airways Flight GE235 into the Keelung River (基隆河) in Taipei’s Nangang District (南港) yesterday was captured on camcorders mounted in cars, which showed the horrifying final seconds of the plane as its left wing brushed the top of an elevated expressway and a taxi before plunging into the river.
The disaster occurred just before noon, and videos and photographs captured by vehicles and people traveling on the expressway in eastern Taipei were quickly uploaded to YouTube and other social media Web sites.
Dramatic pictures posted by one driver showed the plummeting ATR-72 turboprop aircraft flying on its side with its wings at almost 90o to the ground.
Photo: Screen grab from Twitter
The plane appeared to miss apartment buildings by meters. Footage showed a taxi skidding to a halt on the damaged overpass with small pieces of the aircraft scattered along the road.
The taxi suffered substantial damage to its front end. The taxi driver, surnamed Chou (周), and a female passenger sustained only minor injuries.
Chou said his family did not believe him at first when he telephoned home to say: “I’m OK now. My car got into a crash, it was hit by an airplane.”
Photo courtesy of the Taipei City Police Department
A man surnamed Hsieh (謝) uploaded a video to YouTube (http://youtu.be/eJNAx4BsUtE), saying it came from a camera in a friend’s car.
The terrified reaction of a female passenger can be heard, as she shouts: “Oh, my god” several times.
A security guard surnamed Kao (高) in a nearby building said he could not believe what had happened.
Photo courtesy of the Taipei City Police Department
“I climbed to the rooftop to see the broken-up aircraft in the river,” he said. “It looked like a scene from a Hollywood disaster movie. I cannot forget those dreadful images.”
One witness said the airplane came down between high-rise buildings and that it looked as if the pilot rolled the aircraft to avoid hitting the buildings.
“If it had not hit the expressway, the airplane could have landed on the river. Then we might not have such heavy casualties,” the witness said.
An electrician surnamed Lee (李) doing repair work nearby saw the crash unfold.
“The engine sound got louder. I thought it was a helicopter. Then the airplane, leaving a trail of smoke, plunged into the river. It was so shocking that I dropped the whole wiring bundle on the floor, because I could not stop trembling,” he said.
Cheng Yi-nan (城益男), a security guard at a nearby building, said he heard a roaring sound, followed by a loud bang, then smelled oil burning.
“I thought there was a fire, but later on, we heard news reports of the air crash,” he said.
Additional reporting by Reuters
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College