At Least 48 Dead And Nearly 120 Injured In Taiwan’s Deadliest-Ever Train Crash

A train partially derailed along Taiwan's east coast on Friday, killing at least 48 people and injuring dozens.

The crash is the island's worst rail disaster in decades.

What we know so far

The incident occurred near the Toroko Gorge area at around 9 a.m. local time (0100 GMT/UTC) on what is a public holiday in Taiwan.

Media outlets initially reported that around 350 passengers were on board. But Transport Minister Lin Chia-lung later told journalists on the scene that the train was actually carrying about 490 people.

Taiwan's National Fire Agency said at least 48 people were confirmed dead with 66 others sent to the hospital.

The train was traveling from Taipei to Taitung when it came off the rails as it entered a tunnel, just north of the city of Hualien. Some carriages hit the wall of the tunnel as a result of the derailment, the fire department said.

Reports said the train smashed into a truck that fell down an embankment and landed on the tracks. 

"There was a construction vehicle that didn't park properly and slid onto the rail track," Hualien county police chief Tsai Ding-hsien told reporters.

"This is our initial understanding and we are clarifying the cause of the incident," he added. 

DW's Taiwan correspondent William Yang said "most of the deaths and seriously injured are all in cars seven and eight — that's initially where the inspectors believe that the truck hit." 

President Tsai Ing-wen said she had ordered hospitals to prepare for a mass casualty event.

"Our emergency services have been fully mobilized to rescue and assist the passengers and railway staff affected. We will continue to do everything we can to ensure their safety in the wake of this heartbreaking incident."

Earlier, Tsai's office said in a statement: "The top priority now is to rescue the stranded people."