6 Dead, 11 Injured in Freeway Bus Crash

[Cover Picture: Kaohsiung Fire Bureau]

Six passengers were killed, and 11 people injured in a late night bus crash on the National Freeway, Monday, September 11.

The Aloha coach departed Kaohsiung at 11:00pm en route to Taipei. At the 348 kilometer mark at 11:46pm, the bus driver is suspected to have braked hard and swerved to avoid a car and then crashed into the central traffic separator.

Reports in Chinese language news reports including United Daily News say that many passengers were thrown out of the vehicle.

Extensive damage was seen on the left side of the bus where it had hit the central traffic separator. Windows on the left side disintegrated.

The bus driver, Mr Wu, covered in blood from cuts to his arms and head, assisted firefighters locate injured passengers in the bus. Wu was the last of the injured to be taken to hospital.

A preliminary investigation of the coach’s data recorder show that the maximum speed of the bus was 100kph, however, police say that the changes in speed that must have occurred when the bus stopped to pick up passengers as Nanzi and Gangshan were not recorded.

Police said the discrepancy leaves many question marks over the data and have requested the coach company hand over the digital data.

Sources: United Daily News, Liberty Times Network.

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