Month: August 2016

Taiwan Tour Group Hit by Landslide: One Dead

bus hit by landslide
Disaster 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment

A bus carrying a tour group from Taiwan was hit by a landslide in Fujian Province, China, this morning August 13. Twenty-two of the 23 people on board managed to escape through an emergency exit in the roof. A middle-aged Taiwanese woman died at the scene, and 12 are injured, including 2 seriously. At 10:43am this morning, the bus was traveling through Yongding District when the landslide caused by heavy rains hit the bus and flipped it over. Local villagers

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Greek Carrier Sinks Chinese Fishing Boat: 6 Rescued, 8 Missing

approximate location of ship when it sank a Chinese fishing boat
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

The Greek registered bulk carrier Anangel Courage sent out a distress call at approximately 5.30am Tokyo time after it collided with a Chinese fishing vessel, which sank near the Senkaku (Diaoyutai) Islands. Six crew were rescued by a Japanese Coast Guard ship, and 8 are missing. Coast guard boats from China and fixed-wing aircraft from Japan were immediately dispatched to the area. Taiwan has sent search and rescue vessels from Taoyuan and Keelung coast guard stations. The Greek ship is

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Abandoned Baby Girl Found in Hsinchu

abandoned baby girl
Odd News 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment

A one to two week old baby girl was found abandoned in a parking lot behind a restaurant in Hukou Township, Hsinchu County this morning. At around 5:00am the proprietor working in the kitchen heard a baby crying. On investigation she found the baby wrapped in a red towel and tucked in an orange travel bag along with several diapers. Police took the baby to social workers. After a medical examination the doctor said the baby was between one and

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Six Injured in Coach Crash

a coach that crashed on national highway Taiwan August 11
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment

An intercity coach traveling between Taipei and Kaohsiung crashed into a guardrail on the national highway after the driver collapsed at the wheel in the early hours Thursday, August 11. Six people, including the driver suffered minor injuries in the accident. The driver was sent to hospital with a fractured left foot, while passengers suffered minor bruises and abrasions. The coach was traveling on the highway passing through Nantun District in Taichung at around 2:00 a.m. when the driver collapsed

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Lamborghini in Rice Paddy

Lamborghini in rice paddy, Ilan County Taiwan, August 10, 2016
Odd News 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A brand new Lamborghini Huracán was spotted in a rice paddy this morning, after the 25 year-old driver lost control when cornering on a country road in Ilan County. Media reports say he had just taken delivery of the car yesterday, and is involved in a tech startup. They didn’t name the man, but used the nickname ‘small ox’. The farmer who owns the field laughed the incident off, saying he usually uses a machine worth NT$2 million to plow

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Taipei Zoo Giraffe Dead

A giraffe at Taipei Zoo
Animals 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A seven year-old Giraffe named Xiaojiu died in Taipei after an unsuccessful attempt to transport it to another zoo. Taipei Zoo staff were preparing to transport the animal to a zoo at Leofoo Theme Park as part of a breeding program when it sat down at an odd angle in the crate, causing veterinarians to declare it unfit for transportation. After returning the animal to the Giraffe house, it was anesthetized and examined. Finding nothing unusual, veterinarians administered drugs to

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10 Year-old Boy Releases Flare in Keelung: Sets Neighbor’s Car on Fire

car with hole in window caused by flare
Odd News 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment

A 10 year-old boy alone at home, and feeling bored, released a flare from a third-story Window. The flare smashed through the rear window of a neighbors car, starting a small fire. Nearby residents managed to extinguish the fire with water before it spread from the rear hatch. The owner found the remains of a cylinder and police identified it as a flare after accessing cctv footage which showed it shooting out from an apartment on the third floor. When

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Car Plows into Scooters: 5 Injured

Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Update: A 72 year-old woman among the injured has died, and an 83 year-old man has been charged with negligent homicide. A car plowed into a group of stationary scooter riders waiting at a red light in Kaohsiung today, knocking down vehicles and riders like bowling pins and resulting in injuries to five people. At 5:30pm this evening, seven scooters were stopped at a red light at an intersection in Renwu Township, when the car careered into them from behind.

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Pokemon Go Traffic Violations: More than 1200 Fines Issued Over 3 days

people playing pokemon go in Taiwan
Stupid Stuff 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment

After launching in Taiwan Saturday, by midnight Monday 1210 fines had been issued to people using their phones while operating a vehicle. Car drivers made up just 76 of the violations, while 1110 fines were issued to motorcyclists, and 24 to riders of bicycles and electric bicycles. The minimum fine for drivers of cars is NT$3000, for motorcyclists NT$1000, and for cyclists NT$300.

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Taxi Hits Ambulance: 3 injured

a taxi and ambulance after an accident in Taichung, Taiwan, 2016
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment

Three people were sent to hospital after a taxi t-boned an ambulance, causing it to tip over onto its side in Taichung this morning, August 9, 2016. The ambulance was taking a 90 year-old woman to hospital for medical treatment when the accident occurred at 10:16am. The patient and nurse suffered face and head trauma but were both conscious when taken to hospital. The taxi driver was also hospitalized after complaining of chest pain after the accident.

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