Tourist Kouta Kinoshita said he felt helpless as he attempted to staunch the bleeding of a man stabbed in Taipei during a deadly rampage on Friday that left four people dead.
The Japanese writer, who previously worked as a TV news journalist, wrote on X that he was on the first floor of the Eslite Spectrum Nanxi department store near the Zhongshan MRT Station when he saw a man holding a knife run into the building.
As the tourist joined the crowd running out of the store, he witnessed the suspect stab two people in the street, including a man on a scooter, Kinoshita said.
Photo: Screen grab from Kinoshita’ s X account
As he was the only person near the victim, he rushed over and used his hands to try to stop the bleeding, he said.
However, without an emergency kit, the by then unconscious rider continued to lose blood, a situation that Kinoshita said left him “heartbroken.”
The man, a 37-year-old surnamed Hsiao (蕭), was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
He was one of the four people who died, including the 27-year-old suspect, Chang Wen (張文), who carried out a series of indiscriminate stabbings inside Taipei Main Station and outside the department store.
Chang fell to his death from the six-story department store’s roof while being pursued by police.
In an interview with TVBS News on Saturday, Kinoshita said that despite the attacks, he did not believe Taiwan had become more dangerous, describing the country as still “relatively safe.”
Kinoshita said he felt guilty for not being able to do more to help the injured scooter rider.
Taipei Medical University Hospital doctor Kao Wei-feng (高偉峰) yesterday that “direct pressure to stop the bleeding” is the most important and effective way to control bleeding from an injury to the torso or neck.
In an emergency, no tools are needed, just “apply direct pressure to the wound with your hands,” Kao said.
The doctor said that when dealing with traumatic bleeding, the most feared outcome is “hemorrhagic shock,” which could be fatal.
If the knife is still in the wound, do not pull it out, as it can help limit the bleeding, increasing the chance of survival, he said.
If the knife has already been removed, or if severe bleeding from the torso or neck is caused by slashing or a similar action, the most important and effective way to stop the bleeding is by applying direct pressure, he said.
As direct pressure might involve contact with the injured person’s blood, use a piece of clothing, such as a scarf or similar item, to apply pressure, Kao said.
A tourniquet can be tied above the wound to stop blood flow when arteries are damaged, he said.
Items such as clothing or scarves can be used as substitutes for a tourniquet, but it is not suitable for wounds on the torso or neck, he added.
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