Text by / MOOK Scenic Spots Family compiled report
At 16:50 on the afternoon of the 21st, a Taiwan Railways Puyuma train (No. 6432, departing from Shulin bound for Taitung) derailed near Xinma Station. The train left the tracks and was severely twisted. The sudden incident caught many passengers off guard, resulting in 15 deaths, 2 in critical condition, and 132 with minor to serious injuries (as of 19:25).
Updated 21:45
The number of casualties is 22 dead and 148 injured, with the most severe damage occurring in cars 6, 7, and 8; due to the closure of both lines, Hualien Railway Station has seen large crowds of stranded passengers.
Updated 2018.10.22 12:00
The number of casualties has been revised to 18 dead and 190 injured; the eastern trunk line of Taiwan Railways resumed single-line service at 05:12 in the morning, and trains began passing through the accident site, Xinma Station, at 05:52.
The Puyuma train involved in the accident is six years old, a Japanese-made model that had just undergone major maintenance and inspection. Taiwan Railways has not announced a suspension of Puyuma services for now but may consider halting them pending investigation. There have also been scattered reports of passengers returning tickets originally booked for Puyuma trains.
There are rumors of blood shortages and calls for blood donations.Luye Boren Hospital stated that its blood bank is sufficient. The original plan for the Kuomintang headquarters to hold a press conference calling for blood donations has also been temporarily canceled.
Exterior view of the Puyuma train. (Photo provided by Cherie, same below)
Some passengers reported that the train had stopped twice, and announcements were made indicating some issues with the vehicle before it continued and then derailed. Some passengers also said the train was traveling at a very high speed (up to 129 km/h). The exact cause of the derailment is still under investigation.
The Puyuma train consists of eight carriages, with five of them derailing and twisting. Injured passengers were sent to Yilan’s Luodong Hospital, St. Mary’s Hospital, and Su’ao Veterans Hospital. Rail traffic on Taiwan Railways’ eastern line has also been affected. In addition to deploying shuttle buses to transport passengers (between Luodong and Yongle), several upbound trains to Hualien and Taitung have been impacted. Travelers planning to take Taiwan Railways to Eastern Taiwan over the next two days should pay special attention to service conditions.
Xinma Station is located in Su’ao Township, Yilan County, Taiwan, on the Yilan Line of Taiwan Railways. Emergency responders from the Luye and Luodong areas have been fully mobilized for rescue efforts. Passengers are advised not to linger near the accident site to keep rescue routes clear.
As this is the most serious derailment accident involving a Puyuma train to date, international media such as Japan’s NHK also interrupted broadcasts to report the news. Taiwan Railways held a press conference at 19:25 on the 21st, and both central and Yilan local governments have set up emergency response centers.
On the morning of the 22nd, Taiwan Railways carried out work at the scene including lifting wreckage and clearing the tracks.
Taiwan Railways released detailedinformation on casualties:18 deaths (all bodies are at Su’ao Veterans Hospital), 190 injured (3 additional self-reported cases as of 11:40), totaling 208 people. A total of 193 people were sent to hospitals: 37 to Luodong St. Mary’s Hospital (2 dead), 64 to Luodong Boren Hospital (1 dead), 47 to Su’ao Veterans Hospital, 5 to Yilan Yangming University Affiliated Hospital, 1 to Yilan Ren’ai Hospital, 20 to Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, 3 to Hualien Meno Hospital, 1 to Hualien Fenglin Veterans Hospital, 4 to Hualien Yuli Veterans Hospital, 1 to Hualien Department of Health Hospital, 1 to Hualien Army General Hospital, 2 to Taitung Mackay Memorial Hospital, 2 to Guanshan Tzu Chi Hospital, 1 to Banqiao Asia Eastern Hospital, 1 to Taipei Medical University Hospital, 2 to Taipei Zhongxiao Hospital, and 1 to Taipei Veterans General Hospital.
III. Vehicles and personnel deployed: Yilan County Fire Bureau dispatched 33 vehicles and 61 personnel. Supporting agencies: New Taipei City Fire Bureau (6 vehicles, 17 personnel), Keelung City Fire Bureau (7 vehicles, 16 personnel), National Fire Agency (2 vehicles, 6 personnel), 6 cranes (6 personnel), 1 excavator (1 personnel), military (8 vehicles, 168 personnel), totaling 63 vehicles and 275 personnel.
At 11:20 AM on October 22Search and rescue operations concluded.
One-week weather forecast: Sunny and cloudy with good weather, some changes expected after Wednesday
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