2021/04/07 12:44 (MOTC photo) (MOTC photo) TAIPEI (Taiwan News) The eighth and final car from the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) train that suffered a deadly derailment after colliding with a construction vehicle was finally extricated from a tunnel Tuesday evening (April 6). At 9:28 a.m. on Friday (April 2), the Taroko Express No. 408, going from New Taipei s Shulin to Taitung, suddenly derailed as it passed through the Qingshui Tunnel in Hualien County, killing 50 and injuring 211. A preliminary investigation has found that the accident occurred after a construction crane truck had fallen onto the tracks a little over a minute before the train smashed into it at 126 kilometers per hour.
Workers clear last train from deadly crash site in Taiwan April 7, 2021 at 1:22 am In this image taken from video, Lee Yi-hsiang, the driver of the truck that caused the train accident on Saturday, offers a public apology as he is led by police Sunday, April 4, 2021, in Hualien, Taiwan. Lee s truck slid into the path of an oncoming train, causing Taiwan s worst railway accident in decades that which killed dozens of people, and injuring hundreds more. (EBC via AP)
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) Cabin exposed, with half of its walls and roof gone, workers pulled out the last remaining train car in Taiwan’s worst rail accident in seven decades.
Transportation minister apologizes again for train crash tragedy
04/07/2021 10:46 PM
Lin Chia-lung (center). CNA photo April 7, 2021
Taipei, April 7 (CNA) Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) on Wednesday once again publicly apologized for the casualties resulting from Taiwan s deadliest train accident in seven decades and said he submitted his written resignation to take responsibility for the incident.
Lin and deputy transport minister Chi Wen-jong (祁文中), who concurrently serves as acting head of the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA), faced questions from lawmakers at a legislative Transportation Committee hearing on the April 2 Taroko Express train crash.
Before the hearing started, all the committee members and officials present observed a one-minute silence for those who were killed and injured when the No. 408 Taroko express train slammed into a crane truck that fell onto the track near the entrance of Qingshui Tunnel in Hualien
Final railcar of Taroko Express No. 408 removed
Staff writer, with CNA, HUALIEN
The final railcar of Taroko Express No. 408, which was involved in a deadly crash on Friday last week that left 50 people dead and more than 200 injured, was removed from the Cingshuei Tunnel (清水隧道) in Hualien County late on Tuesday.
The first car of the eight-car train which crashed into a crane truck that had rolled onto the tracks, derailed and slammed into the wall of the tunnel was hauled out from the tunnel by an excavator at 10:52pm.
As it emerged, a large portion of the front left of the carriage, running from the nose to behind the driver’s compartment, was revealed to be missing, apparently shorn off by the impact of the collision.