A woman died, and child was critically injured, when a section of brick wall collapsed in Hualien City earlier this evening, landing on a car stopped at an intersection. Video footage of the incident showed a sheet-metal structure on the roof of a six-storey building being blown away by strong winds before a section of brick wall fell onto the road below. The slab landed on the rear section of a small, white sedan that had just come to a
Read moreAuthor: Phillip Charlier
Typhoon Gaemi nears Taiwan, intensifies: work, financial markets likely suspended for a second day tomorrow
Typhoon Gaemi intensified to the level of strong typhoon this morning, and is expected to make landfall late tonight, according to Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration. The CWA said that Gaemi intensified into a strong typhoon in the three hours up to 11:00 am. Typhoon Gaemi was located around 150 kilometers southeast of Yilan County moving west-northwest at 18 kilometers per hour. The storm has a surface pressure of 925 hPa, with a storm radius of 250 kilometers packing sustained winds
Read moreWork and classes suspended, residents evacuated from vulnerable areas as Typhoon Gaemi approaches Taiwan
Stop work and class orders have been issued in many municipalities, including the nation’s capital Taipei, as Typhoon Gaemi approaches Taiwan’s east coast, bringing heavy rain and potentially destructive winds. Taipei City Government announced stop work orders for all agencies and schools for Wednesday, July 24, based on the weather forecast data issued by the Central Weather Administration. Taipei City Mayor Chiang Wan-an said that Taipei City is expected to be within the storm radius of Beaufort-Scale level 7 winds
Read moreTaiwan prepares for direct hit by Typhoon Gaemi
Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration issued a land warning for Typhoon Gaemi at 11:30 am Tuesday, as the tropical storm intensified into a medium-strength typhoon while heading for a direct hit on the northern part of the island. According to the CWA alert, at 8:00 am this morning Typhoon Gaemi was located 470 kilometers east-southeast of Taiwan’s most southerly point, Point Eluanbi. The system has a central air pressure of 965 hPa, and a storm radius of 200 kilometers packing sustained
Read moreWoman’s body found in Taichung City canal: suspected to be foreign resident or visitor
Police in Taichung City are investigating the death of an unidentified woman of Caucasian appearance after a body was found in a stream today, July 17. Taichung City police received a report of a body seen floating in Xinzhuangzi Creek in Xitun District at around 10:30 am. Firefighters retrieved the body, which was estimated to have been in the water for up to two days. Investigators said that the woman was white, with a Caucasian appearance, and estimated to be
Read morePolice officer killed, 5 people injured after suspected drug driver crash in New Taipei City
A police officer died, and five people were injured, after a driver suspected to be under the influence of drugs slammed head-on into two cars stopped at a red light in New Taipei City’s Sanchong District early this morning, July 13. According to reports, a police patrol car and a multi-taxi were stopped at a red light at the intersection of Zhengyi North Road and Longmen Road at when a silver Mercedes Benz slammed head-on into the police patrol car
Read moreVaccine injury program awards NT$1.5 million payout over death of elderly woman
Taiwan’s Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) awarded compensation of NT$1.5 million to the family of a 90-year-old woman who died 5 minutes after being injected with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. According to the VICP review information, the elderly woman was a long-term resident of a care institution with a medical history of multiple chronic diseases, including asthma, hypertensive heart disease, and diabetes. In July, 2022, the woman was injected with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Within five minutes of injection, the
Read moreFisheries Chairman shot dead in ambush outside his home in Tainan City
The chairman of the Tainan City Fisherman’s Association was declared dead in hospital after being shot 11 times as he left his home early this morning, Monday, July 8. According to reports, 53-year-old Lin Shijie (林士傑), a well-known and influential member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Tainan City, walked out of his front door at around 5:40 am to go hiking. As Lin walked towards a waiting car, a man dressed in jeans and a black hoodie quickly
Read more2 dead, 3 injured after scaffolding collapse at construction site in southern Taiwan
Two people died and three were injured after scaffolding collapsed at a construction site in Yunlin County this afternoon, Saturday, July 6. According to reports, the scaffolding collapse occurred at the Formosa Advanced Technology Company (FATA/Fumao Technology TW:8131) in Henan Street, Doulio City at 4:12 pm. Yunlin County Fire Department dispatched six fire trucks, six ambulances, and 31 personnel to the scene of the accident. Firefighters found 15 people trapped under the collapsed scaffolding. A 40-year-old man was dead, having
Read moreTaiwan’s fertility rate second lowest in the world: abortions are double the number of live births, advocacy group claims
Taiwan has one of the lowest fertility rates in the world, and one of the highest rates for abortion, it was revealed at a press conference by pro-life pregnancy support and advocacy group Pro Femina, Friday, July 5. Pro Femina urged the government to address Taiwan’s high abortion rate. Government agencies have often weighed in on the problem of low fertility rates, which have at times been flagged as a national security issue. In a recent report, the National Development
Read moreBoulder severs tracks on Taiwan’s east coast line: frequent landslides affect road and rail links since April 3 earthquake
Taiwan Railways reopened two-way traffic July 3, following a landslide that blocked road and rail links between Yilan and Hualien July 1, but traffic is reduced to a single line again today after a massive boulder fell onto tracks in the landslide-affected area. Railway personnel reported that a huge boulder fell onto the railroad, severing train tracks between Heren and Chongde train stations at 6:21 am today, July 4. Passengers travelling on the line were told to expect 15-20 minute
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