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On this photo published by Li Jun, rescuers are seen on the site of a train derailment in Lian, northern Taiwan, on Sunday, October 21, 2018. The express train Puyuma was carrying more than 300 passengers to Taitung, a city located in Taiwan's southeast coast, when it came off the slopes Sunday afternoon. (Li Jun via AP) (Associated Press)
TAIPEI, Taiwan – Eighteen people were killed and at least 160 injured on Sunday, when one of Taiwan's newest and fastest trains derailed in a bend along a popular road of the day. weekend, officials said.
The Puyuma express train was carrying more than 366 passengers from the suburbs of Taipei to Taitung, a town on the southeast coast of Taiwan, when it left the railway at 4:50 pm, the Taiwanese central government announced.
The office of the spokesman for the Cabinet, quoted by the National Fire Agency, reportedly said 18 people had been killed and 160 wounded.
Some passengers were crushed to death, said Defense Ministry spokesman Chen Chung-chi. "Their train car has returned. They were crushed and died on the spot, "said Chen.
The soldiers removed the bodies to identify them, he added.
Photos taken at the scene just south of Luodong City showed the eight cars of the train in a zigzag formation near the tracks. Five of the cars are flipped to the sides.
Most of the dead were in the first car, which rocked, said a government spokesman.
It was unclear how many people could still be stuck on the train, said the spokesman, who requested anonymity. Some 120 soldiers joined firefighters in their rescue work.
During a live broadcast provided by Taiwan's United Daily News, rescuers were seen carrying with care what appeared to be a body wrapped in white plastic, away from the site.
According to reports from local television, passengers were trying to escape through the windows of the trains and passersby had gathered to help them before the arrival of the rescuers.
The train is 6 years old and its most recent major inspection and maintenance took place in 2017, said Lu Chie-shen, director of the Taiwan Railway Administration, during a televised press conference.
The authorities are investigating the cause of the derailment.
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Associate Press Writer Yanan Wang in Beijing contributed to this report.
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, disseminated, rewritten or redistributed.
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