Many passengers imprisoned: The train derailed in the tunnel – dozens dead

Friday 02nd April 2021

Many passengers were locked up
The train derailed in the tunnel – dozens of dead

In Taiwan, a train with 350 people derailed while crossing a tunnel in the east of the country. At least 36 of them died and dozens were injured. Many passengers are still locked in the carriages.

Dozens were killed in a train accident in Taiwan. So far, the emergency services have detected 36 dead passengers, the railway police said. 72 people are still locked up on the train. Another 61 inmates were taken to hospitals.

Fire brigades said the train, which had eight cars and more than 350 passengers, appeared to derail as it passed through a tunnel. According to the emergency services, this makes the rescue work more difficult. A little earlier, a cart on the construction site fell down a slope and crashed into a train. Taiwan media pictures and videos showed a part of the train that appeared to have been shattered by the tunnel wall. A number of derailed cars lined up in front of the tunnel.

Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen has put hospitals on alert. She said saving people from train wrecks is a top priority.

The accident occurred near the port city of Hualien in the east of the country. According to the Central Emergency Response Center, rescue workers tried to reach four vehicles in the tunnel that were damaged and inaccessible. The train was on its way from the capital, Taipei, to Taitung, in southeastern Taiwan.