At least 36 people were killed in a train accident in Taiwan on Friday, the Taiwan Ministry of Transport said. Another 72 were injured in the accident. This is the worst train accident in Taiwan in more than three decades.
In total, the train carried about 350 passengers. They were on their way to Taitung, but the train derailed in a tunnel north of the eastern city of Hualien. Several vehicles collided with the walls several times.
So far, local authorities reported that rescue teams have freed between 80 and 100 people from the train’s first four cars. The remaining passengers, however, would be difficult to free, as the four wagons on board had been damaged by the collision so heavy that rescue operations would be difficult.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation. It is possible that a “truck improperly parked” is on the track. The passenger would have made the same claim on national television.
Taiwan was last hit by a serious train accident in 2018. Then, 18 people were killed and 175 passengers injured when a train derailed in the northeast of the island.
