Large areas of southern Taiwan still in the dark this evening but power supply sufficient for tomorrow says Taipower

a police officer directs traffic during power outage
Business and Economy 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment

Power was restored to most affected areas following nationwide blackouts caused by an accident at Xingda Power Plant in Kaohsiung City this morning, however, many areas of southern Taiwan were plunged into darkness again as the sun went down on solar power arrays this evening, March 3. As of 8:30 pm this evening power outages were still being reported over much of Kaohsiung City’s central business district, and areas of Pingtung, Tainan, Chiayi, and Yunlin counties. An estimated 700,000 households

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Kaohsiung City poised to become important base in global electric bus market

Model T electric bus
Business and Economy 
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Kaohsiung City Mayor Chen Chi-mai said that he looks forward to jointly building the world’s most important electric bus base during a handover ceremony that saw the city taking delivery of the first electric bus produced by Foxconn joint venture Foxtron today, March 3. Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. (TSE: 2354, Foxconn Technology Group) Chairman Liu Young-way said that the delivery was the most important milestone since the company ventured into the electric vehicle industry. Liu noted that 65% of

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Critically ill patient wheeled to hospital after ambulance crash in Kaohsiung City

damaged ambulance and car following collision
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Paramedics abandoned their ambulance and wheeled a critically ill patient to the hospital after a collision around 150 meters from the emergency department entrance in Kaohsiung City this morning. At around 4:30 am an Fire Department ambulance carrying a female patient suffering from myocardial infarction collided with a Mercedes Benz sedan at an intersection of Rongzong Road in Zouying District. The driver of the ambulance suffered an injured left hand, and the second paramedic also suffered minor bruising. However, considering

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Nationwide power outages after accident at major power station

fire and smoke at Xingda Power plant
Business and Economy 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

More than one third of households around Taiwan were without power after what the Ministry of Economic Affairs described as “a bang, but not an explosion” at a major power plant in Kaohsiung City at 9:07 am this morning, Thursday, March 3. Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua made a public apology for the situation and said that the power outages were caused by an accident at the main switch station of Xingda Power Plant in Kaohsiung City. Wang said

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Taiwan’s electric motorcycle brand Gogoro reports recent sales surge

Gogoro electric scooters
Business and Economy 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Electric scooter brand Gogoro announced March 1 that the number of newly licensed electric scooters in Taiwan in the first two months of 2022 reached 7,308 units, more than double the same period last year, with a growth rate of 132.2%.  Compared with the booming sales performance of electric motor scooters, the sales of traditional fuel scooters continued to decline. The number of new licenses of traditional fuel scooters in January and February 2022 declined by 10.4% compared with the

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Fireworks factory explosion leaves one injured: second incident in less than a year

damaged factory building after explosion
Health and Safety 
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An explosion at a fireworks factory in Chiayi County left one man injured this afternoon, and it is the second explosion incident at the factory in less than one year. The Chiayi County Fire Department said that it received reports of an explosion at the Yongfeng pyrotechnic factory in Yongtun Village, Dongshi Township at 1:23 pm. Firefighting units were dispatched from Puzi, Xianghe, Dongshi and Budai fire stations. No fire followed the explosion, but one man was found injured. The

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US defense and security delegation arrives in Taiwan amid rise in global security risks

US delegation with MOFA officials on airport tarmac
International Relations 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A delegation of former senior defense and security officials sent by US President Joe Biden arrived in Taipei this afternoon, Tuesday, March 1. The delegation led by former US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mike Mullen touched down at Taipei Songshan Airport at 3:54 pm, and was met on the Tarmac by Foreign Minister Joseph Wu. Members of the delegation include Meghan O’Sullivan, a former deputy national security advisor under the Bush administration, Michele Flournoy, a former undersecretary of defense

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One body located after two hikers fall from trail in Central Mountain Range

composite image showing mountain peak and two men who fell from trail
Breaking News 
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An aerial search has located the body of one of two hikers who fell from a trail on a mountain in central Taiwan this morning, February 26. The Hsinchu County Fire Department and Taichung City Fire Department dispatched a joint search and rescue operation involving 10 personnel and a helicopter, after receiving a report of the accident on Pintian Mountain on the border of the two counties, at around 11:00 am. According to reports, a group of six hikers on

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US Navy destroyer transits the Taiwan Strait

composite image USS Ralph Johnson and Taiwan Strait
Military Affairs 
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A US Navy guided-missile destroyer transited the Taiwan Strait today, February 26, and turned on its Automated Ship Identification System (AIS) – a clear signal that the US military wanted everybody to be aware of the ship’s presence in the key waterway. Chinese think tank South China Sea Probing Initiative was first to announce the transit in a Tweet this morning, noting that the “USS Ralph Johnson (DDG-114) is transiting the #TaiwanStrait, with an[sic] USN EP-3E providing ISR support from

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Slight decrease in traffic accidents, deaths; but drink driving, motorcycle fatalities up in 2021

Taiwan traffic
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Taiwan’s Ministry of Transportation and Communications today announced traffic accident statistics for 2021, showing that the overall number of traffic accidents, injuries, and deaths slightly decreased year-on-year, but fatalities from motorcycle accidents, and those involving drunk driving actually increased. According to the MOTC statistics, there were a total of 356,779 traffic accidents in Taiwan in 2021, resulting in 2,990 deaths and 474,376 injuries. Compared to 2020, there were 5,480 fewer accidents (-1.5%), 10 fewer deaths (-0.3%), and 7,777 fewer injuries

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1 dead, 1 seriously injured after speeding car slams into military truck

composite image of car and truck after crash
Traffic Accidents 
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One man died and another was seriously injured after a civilian car crashed into the back of an army truck on combat readiness exercises in Taichung City this morning, February 24. Taichung City Fire Bureau received a report of a serious traffic accident on Huanhe Road in Dali District at 4:52 am. Two ambulances and two fire trucks were dispatched to the scene of the crash. Firefighters found two men who had been thrown out of a white Ford sedan

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