On Wednesday night, Taiwan’s Puyuma train collided with large falling rocks causing three carriages to derail, luckily with no injuries.
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In a sudden turn of events Wednesday night, Puyuma’s northbound train 445 collided with rocks, and passengers onboard were immediately alerted through the train's announcement system. The train was brought to a halt as it awaited rescue. The incident occurred around 9 p.m. near Heping Station and caused a light derailment to the first three carriages. Thankfully, no one was injured.
The impact was evident as the train's front bore scratches, and carriages were forcefully pushed off the tracks. This incident occurred in the aftermath of the Hualien earthquake on April 3rd, which generated over 800 aftershocks within a week, causing rocks to tumble onto the railway tracks, causing blockage in both directions.
Deputy Director Hsu Min-Chieh (許民杰) from The Eastern District Operation Office of the Taiwan Railway Corporation assured that they would continue to transport passengers northward. However, questions arose regarding the absence of a warning system at the derailment site, especially since the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) had previously installed such systems. Transportation Minister Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) ordered a comprehensive re-inspection of all slopes to prevent similar incidents in the future. He clarified that the incident occurred in an area not classified as a high-risk rockfall zone and that the 26 rockfall warning systems currently in place did not cover this specific location. The sudden disruption left some passengers anxiously awaiting updates on when they could resume their journeys.
Amidst ongoing aftershocks, passengers expressed apprehension highlighting the persistent safety concerns along the Hualien-Taitung line. Despite TRA’s efforts to restore services promptly, the incident underscored the need for continued vigilance and safety measures to safeguard passenger travel in the region.