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Topline
At least 48 people were killed and dozens were injured after a passenger train in Taiwan derailed inside a tunnel on Friday morning, in an incident that is being described as the island’s worst-ever train crash.
In this photo released by National Fire Agency, rescue workers are seen near the site of a partial … [+]
Key Facts
The train driver was also killed in the incident while around 120 other people have been injured, with some in severe condition, Taiwan’s Liberty Times reported
The train, which was carrying 350 passengers, derailed inside a tunnel in Hualien, eastern Taiwan after it hit a=a construction truck that had slid onto the track from the hillside above, according to the the Taiwanese government-run Central News Agency (CNA).
The Taiwan Railways Administration said the truck should not have been parked on the slope because there was no construction work going on at the time and the driver of the truck has been taken in by local police for questioning, the CNA report added.
According to AFP’s Jerome Taylor, rescue officials have said there is no one left trapped inside the train anymore.
Crucial Quote
“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,” Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said on Twitter.
Key Background
Friday’s accident is the deadliest train accident in the island’s history. In 1991, two trains collided in western Taiwan killed 30 people, which was the worst train mishap in Taiwan before Friday’s incident. More recently, in 2018, 18 people were killed and 175 were injured when a train derailed in northeastern Taiwan.
Further Reading
36 reported with no vital signs, 44 injured in train derailment (CNA/Focus Taiwan)
Train derails in Taiwan, with at least 36 dead and many injured (CNN)
Train crashes in eastern Taiwan, killing 36, injuring dozens (Associated Press)
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