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At least 51 people were killed in a serious train accident in Taiwan.
The Taiwanese authorities confirmed this on Friday.
Accordingly, 146 injured people were treated in hospitals.
The train with eight cars and more than 350 passengers on board was apparently derailed while passing through a tunnel, according to the fire brigade.
Shortly before the exit of the tunnel, a construction site vehicle fell down a slope and collided with the train on the tracks.
Taiwan's Prime Minister Su Tseng-chang apologized to passengers on Friday and expressed his condolences.
"I would like to express my deepest condolences to the families of the victims and the injured passengers," Su said at a press conference in Taipei.
Train passengers run through the tunnel to the outside
Source: AFP / HANDOUT
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The rescue work continued on Friday morning (CEST).
Photos and videos in Taiwanese media showed part of the train that appeared to be crushed by the tunnel wall.
Several derailed cars lined up in front of the tunnel.
As the Taiwanese news agency CNA reported, the express train was on its way to the southeast Taiwanese city of Taitung.
The accident occurred at the beginning of the several-day memorial festival.
The last time there was a serious train accident in Taiwan was in October 2018.
At that time 18 people died.