A passenger train in Taiwan partially derailed Friday, leaving at least 48 people dead and over 100 more injured in what a rail official said is the country’s worst-ever rail disaster.
The accident occurred near Taroko Gorge National Park on the first day of the nation’s four-day Tomb Sweeping Festival, a religious holiday when people travel to their hometowns for family gatherings and to pay respects at their ancestors’ graves. The wrecked train had been carrying more than 400 people and collided with an unmanned vehicle.
Images from the crash site showed part of the train inside a tunnel with survivors walking on top of the roof of exposed parts of the train.
US TOUTS AMBASSADOR’S HISTORIC VISIT TO TAIWAN, DESPITE CHINA’S ‘RED LINE’ THREAT
We deeply saddened by the tragic news of the train crash in Eastern Taiwan. In this moment of grief & loss, be assured of Somaliland’s great sympathy as we express our solidarity and sincerest condolences to the families of the victims and our brotherly & friendly nation, Taiwan. pic.twitter.com/0clLXFOgXM
— MFA Somaliland (@somalilandmfa) April 2, 2021
BREAKING: Death toll from Taiwan train crash rises to 48
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) April 2, 2021
“Many people were crushed under train seats in the collision. And there were other people on top of the seats,” one passenger who reportedly had gauze taped to her elbow told the Taiwanese Eastern Broadcast Company, according to the Associated Press. “So those at the bottom were pressed and crushed and lost consciousness. At the beginning, they still responded when we called them. But I guess they lost consciousness afterward.”
The National Fire Service confirmed the death toll, saying all passengers have been accounted for. Among those killed was the train’s newly married driver.
The vehicle that caused the train to crash was a construction truck that slid onto the track from a worksite on an above hillside, and no one was in the truck at the time of the crash, said railways news officer Weng Hui-ping.
“In response to a train derailment in Hualien, Taiwan, our emergency services have been fully mobilized to rescue & assist the passengers & railway staff affected. We will continue to do everything we can to ensure their safety in the wake of this heartbreaking incident,” said Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.
BREAKING: Death toll from Taiwan train crash rises to 48
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) April 2, 2021
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The country’s last major rail accident was in October 2018, when an express train crash killed at least 18 people and injured nearly 200.
