China News Service, Beijing, April 2 (Reporter Yang Chengchen and Zheng Qiao) The derailment of the Taiwan Railway "Taroko" train on the 2nd caused heavy casualties.
Some Taiwanese media described this incident as the "most serious" security incident for Taiwan Railways in 40 years.
In an interview with a reporter from China News Agency, a Taiwanese travel agent pointed out that for many years, traffic accidents have been frequent in eastern Taiwan, and the Taiwan authorities should fill in the safety gap as soon as possible.
According to reports from Taiwanese media such as United News Network, China Central News Agency, and China Times News, as of press time, the accident has caused 48 deaths and 118 minor or serious injuries, and the train driver confirmed his death.
The transportation, fire, health and welfare departments of the Taiwan authorities have launched an emergency rescue mechanism, and the Hualien County fire department and civilian rescue teams rushed to the scene to carry out rescue operations as soon as possible.
According to reports, there are no injured people left in the carriage.
The person in charge of the manufacturer suspected of being involved in the accident has been brought back by the Hualien police for investigation.
The Hualien District Procuratorate has sent an investigation team to the scene to find out the cause of the accident.
The accident occurred on the north side of the Qingshui Tunnel in Hualien County. An engineering vehicle parked on the side of a slope slipped and hit 408 Taroko trains that were entering the tunnel.
Judging from the scene sent back from the scene, the front of the car suffered the most damage.
The official website of the Taiwan Railways reported that the first to sixth carriages were derailed, causing a telegraph pole to fall, the tram line fell 150 meters, and the electric track fell 400 meters. The fourth to eighth carriages are still in the tunnel.
Some survivors were interviewed by Taiwanese media at the first time they were rescued. They suddenly felt the body shake violently and hit the body because of the shaking.
Some survivors showed blood on their bodies to reporters.
The 2nd is the first day of the continuous holiday of Qingming Festival in Taiwan. The pressure of railway interruption caused by the derailment of eastern transportation has increased sharply.
Taiwan’s “Ministry of Transportation” stated that it has launched an alternative plan to clear the sham traffic, and the east line railway is expected to resume after the holiday.
Li Qiyue, vice chairman of the Cross-Strait Public Affairs Association and spokesperson for the Taiwan Travel Industry Quality Assurance Association, said in a telephone interview with a reporter from China News Agency that he was hit by a construction vehicle responsible for the Suhua Highway Ming tunnel project above the railroad tracks. A derailment accident occurred on the "Taroko" train.
"This accident is an accident, but the train below is moving and the construction above is in danger."
There have been several serious accidents on the highway and railway traffic in eastern Taiwan in recent years. In October 2018, the Puyuma train of Taiwan Railways overturned, causing 18 deaths and over 215 injuries; in October 2019, the Nanfangao Crossing on Suhua Highway The Hong Kong Bridge broke, but fortunately no one was killed.
Some Taiwanese media described this incident as the "most serious" security incident for Taiwan Railways in 40 years.
Li Qiyue pointed out that for many years, traffic accidents have occurred frequently in eastern Taiwan, but due to environmental assessment and other issues, the "cutting the bend and straightening" project has been slow to advance.
The engineering vehicle caused a train derailment accident and caused heavy casualties. The Taiwan authorities should fill in the safety gap as soon as possible.
After the incident, Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said that relevant parties in the mainland are highly concerned and concerned about the follow-up rescue progress, and expressed condolences and condolences to the casualties caused by the accident.
Social media on both sides of the strait paid great attention to this, and many mainland netizens left a message "The dead rest in peace" and expressed regret for the incident.
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