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YILAN, Taiwan (Reuters) – A speed control system was not working when a train in Taiwan killed 18 people and wounded another 187 during the island's biggest train disaster, a spokesman said on Tuesday. high level investigator.
A spilled train is seen in Yilan, Taiwan on October 22, 2018. REUTERS / Yimou Lee
It was not clear whether the system, called automatic train protection, had been turned off by itself or had been manually disabled before the Sunday crash, told Reuters the chief of staff. a government-led investigation team, Wu Ze-cheng.
"If the train was above the speed limit, the system should slow it down automatically. It seems that the system has failed. Why? We need more investigations, "Wu said.
The train came off the rails in a bend as it was moving at nearly 140 km / h, above the maximum speed allowed of 46 mph (74 km / h), Wu added.
Further investigation is needed to determine the cause, he added.
The train driver, 48-year-old You Zhen-zhong, got a 500,000 Tanzanian pesos ($ 16,167) bail on Tuesday after being arrested for investigation, the Taiwanese railway authorities said.
You were treated at the hospital as a result of the accident occurred in Yilan County, in the mountainous northeast of the island.
The train data recorder, which includes tracking speed, has been sent to prosecutors for review.
Graphic: fatal train crash in Taiwan – tmsnrt.rs/2NZiXQi
The disaster was the deadliest train accident in Taiwan since the 1981 crash that claimed the lives of 30 people.
The head of the state railway administration, Lu Jie-shen, has proposed to resign, but the Minister of Transport has not accepted this proposal, said the l & # 39; authority of the railways.
Prime Minister William Lai apologized for the accident on behalf of the government.
"People were waiting for the railroad to be the safest," Lai told Parliament.
"I apologize to the people on behalf of the Executive Yuan," he said, referring to the island cabinet.
Train derailments are not uncommon on the island, characterized by rugged and mountainous terrain, but fatal accidents are rare.
Report by Yimou Lee; Edited by Robert Birsel
