A woman was killed and 10 people were injured yesterday when a train on the Taichung MRT system hit a crane boom that had fallen onto the tracks.
The incident occurred at 12:29pm at the intersection of Wenxin S Fifth and Wenxin S roads in Nantun District (南屯), near the metro system’s Feng-le Park Station.
A 52-year-old woman surnamed Lin (林), an assistant professor in Providence University’s Department of Law, was found dead, Taichung Fire Bureau Sixth Corp Captain Pan Te-tsang (潘德倉) said.
Photo: CNA
The train ran into the crane boom lying on the rails after it fell more than 30 stories from a nearby construction site and pierced the MRT system’s sound insulation barriers.
Surveillance footage showed the boom falling from the nearly completed structure.
A section of the boom pierced the first car, separate footage taken inside the train showed.
Photo: CNA
The Taichung Fire Bureau transported people to hospitals for treatment for mostly minor injuries, the Taichung City Government said, adding that one of the injured people is Canadian.
The Taichung City Police Department implemented traffic restrictions in the area after the incident.
MRT services between Beitun Main Station and Taichung City Hall continued as usual, with dispatch buses shuttling passengers to and from the Jiuzhangli and High Speed Rail Taichung stations as Taichung Mass Rapid Transit Corp worked to restore full operations to the MRT line.
The Taichung Urban Development Bureau at 1:52pm ordered the immediate cessation of work at the construction site and launched an investigation into the cause of the incident.
Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) told reporters that the company in charge of the construction site, Highwealth Construction Co (興富發建設), would face a hefty fine if it is found to have failed to observe construction safety and the city government would demand compensation from it.
However, the city’s primary concern was to treat the injured passengers, Lu said.
Urban Development Bureau Director Lee Cheng-wei (李正偉) said that it fined the builder, the designer and the construction firm NT$270,000 each, citing contraventions of the Building Act (建築法).
Occupational Safety and Health Administration Director-General Lee Wen-chin (李文進) said that the builder faces a separate fine of NT$300,000 for failing to secure objects in contravention of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法).
Premier Chen Chien-en (陳建仁) asked the Ministry of Labor and the Taiwan Transportation Safety Board to look into the incident and provide the Taichung City Government with all necessary assistance to allow the MRT to resume normal operations as soon as possible, Executive Yuan spokesman Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成) said.
Highwealth Construction, which dispatched the crew using the crane, said it regretted that its equipment and crew had been involved in an incident resulting in the loss of life.
It would not shy from any legal responsibility for the incident, the company said.
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
AMENDMENT: Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of high-temperature days, affecting economic productivity and public health, experts said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) is considering amending the Meteorological Act (氣象法) to classify “high temperatures” as “hazardous weather,” providing a legal basis for work or school closures due to extreme heat. CWA Administrator Lu Kuo-chen (呂國臣) yesterday said the agency plans to submit the proposed amendments to the Executive Yuan for review in the fourth quarter this year. The CWA has been monitoring high-temperature trends for an extended period, and the agency contributes scientific data to the recently established High Temperature Response Alliance led by the Ministry of Environment, Lu said. The data include temperature, humidity, radiation intensity and ambient wind,
SECOND SPEECH: All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist the CCP, despite their differences, the president said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday discussed how pro-Taiwan and pro-Republic of China (ROC) groups can agree to maintain solidarity on the issue of protecting Taiwan and resisting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The talk, delivered last night at Taoyuan’s Hakka Youth Association, was the second in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. Citing Taiwanese democracy pioneer Chiang Wei-shui’s (蔣渭水) slogan that solidarity brings strength, Lai said it was a call for political parties to find consensus amid disagreements on behalf of bettering the nation. All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist
RSS