New Taipei City

Gunman opens fire with submachine gun in broad daylight in New Taipei City: rival gang factions in dispute

gunman fires submachine gun in front of shocked onlookers
Crime and Criminals 
Phillip Charlier 2 Comments , , , , ,

A dispute between two factions of the Bamboo Union saw 11 shots fired in anger in Banqiao District yesterday, and 42 shots blasted into a pawn shop door using a submachine gun in Tucheng District this morning, April 20. In the early hours of the morning Wednesday, April 20, a teenage suspect, named Wu, and a 24-year-old man, named Lin, met to negotiate with a 20-year-old man, named Hsu, and a 19-year-old, named Hsueh, in a parking lot in Zhongshan

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Two Belgian tourists injured in cycling accident in north coast mountain district

Paramedics tend to injured cyclists who tumbled into streambed
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

Two Belgian men were injured after crashing their bicycles on a downhill section of a mountain road in Wanli District, New Taipei City, yesterday, Sunday, April 16. According to Taiwanese media outlet SETN, the two men were part of a group of four cyclists riding on a downhill section of the Pingding Mountain Road when they crashed into a bridge pier. One of the men flew over the guardrail and fell into a streambed around 4 meters below the road.

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Smartphone app helps save motorcyclist seriously injured in crash

composite image showing crashed scooter and crash detection app on smartphone
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment ,

Paramedics rushed an unconscious man to hospital after his iPhone crash detection app called emergency services following a motorcycle accident in New Taipei City early yesterday morning, April 6. According to a United Daily News report, the 53-year-old bus driver, named Zheng, was riding a motor scooter to work when he crashed into a traffic island on Hecheng Road in Zhonghe District at around 5:10 am. Zheng was seriously injured and unconscious following the accident. Fortunately, his iPhone crash detection

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Factory fire leads to school evacuation, classes suspended for one day

Plume of thick, black smoke from fire at tire recycling plant
Fire 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

An elementary school was evacuated yesterday, and classes will be suspended today, after a fire in a nearby tire recycling factory emitted a plume of thick, black, toxic-smelling smoke in Bali District, New Taipei City. The New Taipei City Fire Department received reports of a fire at the Xianxiang Technology Company tire recycling factory on Guanhai Avenue at 1:52 pm. 72 vehicles and 155 personnel were dispatched to deal with the fire. Four employees were sent to hospital with minor

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5 suspects involved in viral road rage incident arrested

composite image of suspect wielding baseball bat and flanked by police after arrestect wielding basebal
Violent Crimes 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

Five men suspected to have smashed the windshield of a truck in a road rage incident in New Taipei City have been arrested after video footage of the incident went viral on social media. According to media reports, the five men were part of a group of more than 10 who were traveling from southern Taiwan’s Chiayi County in three cars when the incident occurred at the Sanxia Interchange on Friday, February 3, at around 3:00 pm. Dashcam footage from

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Motorcycle rider killed after hitting taxi driving with lights off on expressway

composite image showing speeding motorcycle and crash
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 2 Comments ,

A motorcycle rider died at the scene after slamming into the back of a taxi at high speed on Expressway 64 in New Taipei City last night, and the taxi driver, who was driving with headlights off, is being investigated on charges of negligent death. Police received a report of an accident at the 25.5 kilometer mark of Expressway 64 in Zhonghe District at 10:57 pm. Dashcam footage of the accident taken from a car that was traveling at 90

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Shipping company exempted from paying damages to fishing industry for 2016 oil spill

composite image of TS Lines freighter and oil pollution
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , , ,

Taiwan’s High Court today ruled that the owners of a freighter that ran aground on the north coast in 2016, causing an oil spill, does not have to pay compensation to local fishermen as there is no proof of damage to the fishery. The TS Lines ship, TS Taipei ran aground on the coast in Shimen District on March 9, 2016, and began to break in half on March 24. The subsequent spill of heavy oil affected the coast of

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6 injured after car crashes into sidewalk arcade in New Taipei City

injured pedestrians are seen on the sidewalk after car crashes into arcade
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

six people were taken to hospital, fortunately none with life-threatening injuries, after a car veered onto the sidewalk after being hit by a taxi making an illegal left turn in Luzhou District, New Taipei City yesterday, July 3. According to the police report and video footage of the incident, the taxi driven by a 47-year-old man, named Zhang, made an illegal left turn on Sanmin Road and hit the front fender of a white SUV at around 10:30 pm. The

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Drunk driver hits and kills road worker, attempts to leave the scene of the accident

screenshot showing BMW Z4 roadster after fatal accident
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A road construction worker died after being hit by a drunk driver in New Taipei City in the early hours of this morning, and his fellow workers used their construction vehicles to block the way after the offending driver attempted to drive away from the scene of the accident. According to reports, at around 2:00 am a 29-year-old woman driving a BMW convertible from Taipei City to Tamsui District hit a 54-year-old traffic controller, named Fang, who was directing traffic

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Gourmet restaurant couple suspected to have died of carbon monoxide poisoning: stove found not turned off properly

La Foresta restaurant facade
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 2 Comments , , ,

A couple found dead in their Italian style restaurant in New Taipei City yesterday died of carbon monoxide poisoning due to an improperly turned off stove, according to a preliminary investigation. An employee of the restaurant who had been resting at home after finishing the lunch shift at around 2:00 pm, returned shortly before 5:00 pm to find the restaurant locked, and the couple not responding to his phone calls. The 22-year-old man, named Shen, eventually called a former employee

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Body of former Pegatron VP found on fourth day of search: autopsy reveals fatal injuries

composite image showing search party and missing hiker
Society 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , , ,

Search and rescue personnel yesterday found the body of a retired tech company executive who went missing while hiking Saturday, March 26, and an autopsy today revealed that he had died after falling and breaking his neck. Search team members from the New Taipei Fire Department found the body of Tsai Chin-kuo at the bottom of a slope around 50 meters below a hiking trail in the Manyueyuan National Forest Recreation Area in Sanxia District, New Taipei City, at around

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