TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) – The owner of a construction truck that caused the worst railway accident in Taiwan in decades and killed 48 people, apologized through tears as police had taken him from his house on sunday. According to the government disaster relief center, the emergency brake on the unmanned truck has not been properly actuated.
An investigation is underway into how Lee Yi-Hsiang’s vehicle slipped exactly on Friday on the tracks from a construction site near the mountainous coast of eastern Hualien County. The truck was hit by a passenger train carrying 494 people, which derailed just before entering a tunnel, crushing many passengers inside the train cars.
The death toll was revised to 48 on Sunday, after rescuers initially said 51, and then 50 people died. The changes came after it was found some parts of the body belonged to a person, a spokesman for the Central Emergency Operations Center said. At least 198 people were injured.
“I caused a serious accident on Taiwan’s No. 4 Taroko train railway administration during this year’s grave garbage vacation, causing deaths and injuries, so I express my condolences and sincere apologies,” Lee said. , which is also the manager construction site, his words muffled by a face mask and emotion. “I will fully cooperate with the authorities’ investigation and take responsibility.”
Hualien County prosecutors previously said they were seeking an arrest warrant for the owner of the truck, who was questioned along with several others.
The Hualien District Court initially allowed Lee to post a bail of 500,000 new Taiwan dollars (US $ 17,516), but that decision was reversed on Sunday when a Hualien High Court overturned the lower court’s decision to allow bail. , reported the Taiwan Central News Agency.
Train trips are popular during Taiwan’s four-day vacation to sweep the graves, when families often return to their hometowns to respect the graves of their elders. It is also an opportunity to take a vacation.
Taiwan is a mountainous island and most of its 24 million people live on the flat lands of the north and west coasts that house most of the island’s farmland, larger cities and high-tech industries. . The slightly populated east where the accident occurred is popular as a tourist destination and the railway line is known for its beautiful natural landscapes.