Prosecutors yesterday released a worker on NT$30,000 bail after a questioning over his installation of an air-conditioning (AC) unit that fell from a window, killing a woman on the street below.
The woman waiting at a bus stop near Exit 2 of the Xinpu MRT station in New Taipei City’s Banciao District (板橋) died on Thursday after being struck by the AC, New Taipei City Police Department said.
The woman, identified as a 21-year-old student at National Chengchi University surnamed Huang (黃), was hit on the head by the AC unit weighing about 30 kilograms that fell from the 17th floor of a building, it said.
Photo: Wu Jen-chieh, Taipei Times
Firefighters said Huang showed no signs of life and was rushed to Far Eastern Memorial Hospital for treatment, but soon after that she was declared dead.
A witness from a nearby store said he discovered the victim lying on the ground near a broken AC unit, with blood coming from her head. He immediately called emergency services, and three nurses passing by provided assistance until the ambulance arrived.
Police found that a worker surnamed Lee (李), 31, had been installing the AC unit in a 17th-floor apartment.
Lee allegedly told poice that he usually installs split-type ACs, therefore he is not very familiar with window units and he even called a colleague earlier to ask how to install the AC unit.
An initial police investigation indicated that careless installation might be the cause of the accident.
Police yesterday sent Lee to the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office for questioning on suspicion of negligent manslaughter, which is punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine of up to NT$500,000.
The office listed bail at NT$30,000 and restricted his movement to his residence.
Meanwhile, New Taipei Labor Affairs Department said it has dispatched labor inspection officials to investigate the cause of the accident, adding that all installation work at the site has been halted.
The worker’s employer was issued a fine of NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法) for violating safety regulations during the installation process, it said.
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