Author: Phillip Charlier

Factory destroyed by violent fire in Changhua County

aerial view of factory fire in Changhua County
Fire 
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A factory producing plastic foam flooring material was completely razed to the ground after what firefighters described as a “violent fire” in Changhua County today, December 10. Changhua County Fire Department received reports of the fire in Renli Village, Tianwei Township, at 2:07 pm. The fire department dispatched teams from six fire stations, with a total of 33 fire trucks and 69 personnel to battle the blaze.  A large quantity of flammable plastic and petrochemical raw materials, combined with windy

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1 dead, 1 injured after wheel falls off truck on freeway

composite image of truck and car
Traffic Accidents 
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A female passenger in a car was killed instantly, and the driver was injured, after a wheel fell off a truck and bounced into oncoming traffic on National Highway 3 in Kaohsiung City today, December 10. According to Taiwan’s Central News Agency, a semitrailer carrying recyclable materials was travelling southbound when a left rear wheel disconnected from the trailer, and bounced into the northbound lanes at the 384.8 kilometer mark, at around 12:50 pm. The wheel hit a pick-up truck

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Taiwan’s population decreased in 2021 for second year in a row

births and deaths chart
Society 
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The Ministry of the Interior today released population statistics for 2021, showing that Taiwan’s population continued to decline, following the first fall in population in 2020. The MOI figures show that there were 153,820 births in 2021, a record low, and a total of 182,732 deaths. The number of deaths surpassed the number of births by 29,912. In the month of December, there were 14,127 births, and 15,739 deaths, with deaths exceeding births by 1,612. The statistics also showed that

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Police fire 4 shots chasing gravel truck in Kaohsiung City

truck driver arrested
Society 
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Police fired at a gravel truck’s tires, after the driver refused to stop for a roadside inspection, attempted to ram a police motor scooter, and took to the freeway in an attempt to escape, in Kaohsiung City today, December 8. Two officers from the Gangshan Police station stopped a gravel truck suspected to be overloaded near the Yanchao Interchange in Renwu District at around 10:30 am. However, the 38-year-old driver, named Lu, suddenly attempted to ram one of the police

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Drinking on construction sites leads to 2 separate drunk driving arrests in one day in New Taipei City

drunk driver and forklift
Health and Safety 
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Two men who were drunk by lunchtime on separate construction sites in New Taipei City were arrested for drunk driving yesterday, Friday, December 7. Shortly after noon, police in Tamsui District stopped a man driving a forklift to check if he had a permit to drive the vehicle on a public road. The 63-year-old driver, named Lan, did not have a permit, and police noticed that Lan reeked of alcohol. An alcohol breath test revealed that Lan had a blood

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Strange car formation spotted in Chiayi County

cars suspended in midair and leaning against each other
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment

A bizarre car accident saw two cars form an inverted V shape after a collision in Chiayi County this morning, January 6. According to reports, a driver parked his car on the side of the narrow rural road in Shanzhong Village shortly after 8:00 am. While the man was picking rapeseed in the adjacent field, the driver of another car rear-ended the parked vehicle. The impact pushed the parked car against a utility pole, and both vehicles were left with

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Joint venture launches made in Taiwan electric buses for global market

Alighter electric bus
Business and Economy 
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A joint venture between Tangrong Advanced Vehicles (TAV) and Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) has launched a new electric bus for the domestic and international market. The “Alighter” brand electric bus was unveiled at the Alighter Taiwan Electric Bus First Global Presentation at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Hall, yesterday, January 5. TAV boasts that the new bus pioneers several unique bests, including the most lightweight aluminum alloy body, the most user-friendly low floor, the most advanced battery liquid cooling system,

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2 dead after motor scooter run over by gravel truck in Kaohsiung City

a firefighter in the foreground and accident site in the background
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Two women traveling on a motor scooter in Kaohsiung City died at the scene of the accident, after being run over by a gravel truck today, December 5. At 11:10 am, a 52-year-old woman, named Yang, and a 68-year-old woman, named Yao, were riding parallel to a gravel truck near the intersection of Renlin Road and Linsen Lane in Renwu District when they fell into the path of the truck on the narrow road. The 59-year-old truck driver, named Yu,

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Baby found abandoned at school gate in Yunlin County

kindergarten staff with baby found abandoned
Society 
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Police and social workers in Yunlin County are searching for the parents of a two-month-old baby, after it was found abandoned in the courtyard of a kindergarten in Dayi Township. A member of staff at the kindergarten was alerted by the sound of the infant’s faint cries when she stepped out of the front door at around 5:00 pm, yesterday, Tuesday, December 4. The baby was dressed in thin clothing, and wrapped in a bath towel. A medical examination at

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3 new active geological faults identified in Taiwan, bringing total to 36

2021 fault line map of the central geological survey Taiwan
Environment 
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Three new active geological faults have been identified in central and southern Taiwan, the Central Geological Survey of the Ministry of Economic Affairs announced yesterday, January 4. The Chuxiang Fault, Kouxiaoli Fault and Chegualin Fault, are located in Nantou County, Tainan City, and Kaohsiung City, and bring the total number of active fault lines identified in Taiwan to 36, the CGS said. The definition of “active faults,” according to the CGS, are “faults that have been active since the late

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Two sanitation workers injured by exploding gas canister in New Taipei City

garbage truck and gas canisters composite image
Health and Safety 
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Two men working on a garbage truck in New Taipei City were injured when a gas cylinder tossed out with general trash exploded in the back of the truck this afternoon. New Taipei City Fire Department said that it received a report of an explosion and fire in the back of a garbage truck on Yongfeng Road in Tucheng District at around 3:00 pm. According to Taiwan’s Central News Agency, the two workers, named Lin and Yang, helped a resident

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