Two gravel truck drivers dead after head-on collision on Coastal Highway

composite image of two gravel trucks after head-on collision

December 31, 2021December 31, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment gravel-truck, New Taipei City, truck-accident

Both drivers died after two gravel trucks collided on the Northern Coastal Highway in New Taipei City this morning, December 31. According to Ruifang Police Precinct, two gravel trucks travelling in opposite directions crashed head on at 5:50 am at the 118.8 kilometer mark in Gongliao District. The impact of the crash left both truck cabins severely mangled with the two drivers trapped in the wreckage. The 24-year-old driver of one of the trucks, named Lin, was “obviously dead” when

suspect in homicide case taken to District Prosecutor's Office

Violent Crimes

December 30, 2021December 31, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment homicide, murder, Tainan City

A man was arrested yesterday, and charged as a suspect in a homicide case, after police found that the body of a man burned in an apparent motor scooter crash in Tainan City had multiple stab wounds. The Tainan City Fire Department received reports of a scooter on fire at the entrance of the Yingxi Lake car park in Tainan Science Park at around 5:00 am, yesterday, December 29. After extinguishing the fire, firefighters found a charred body of a

Fire

December 29, 2021December 29, 2021 Phillip Charlier 1 Comment Aviation industry, factory fire, Taichung City

An explosion and fire at one of Taiwan’s key defense prime aerospace facilities left one person dead and six injured today, Wednesday, December 29. At 10:12 am, an explosion at the Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation facility shook buildings in the surrounding Xitun District, in Taichung City. According to reports, a dust explosion occurred due to an accumulation of aluminium alloy dust in a dust collection area. Taichung City Fire Department dispatched units from Zhonggang, Shuinan, Xitun, Liming and other fire

Traffic Accidents

December 28, 2021December 29, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment New Taipei City

An elderly woman selling vegetables on the roadside died, and two pedestrians were injured, after a driver accidentally stepped on the gas, sending his car careering onto the sidewalk in Xindian District, New Taipei City, this evening, December 28. According to reports in Liberty Times, and United Daily News, at around 5:50 pm, a 70-year-old man, named Zheng, stopped his car to allow his wife to exit to purchase some vegetables. Zheng was preparing to execute a U-turn when his

composite image showing ship aground and map of location

Marine and Fisheries

December 28, 2021December 28, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Penghu Islands, ship adrift, ship aground, shipping accident, Taiwan Strait

A general cargo ship has run aground on a reef in the Penghu Islands, after the crew abandoned ship off the coast of northern Taiwan on December 24. The Belize-flagged, 499-gross tonnage general cargo ship HOMAO lost power due to flooding in its cabin and issued a distress signal at approximately 8 o’clock in the morning of the 24th, 52 nautical miles from Keelung. The crew of nine abandoned ship a short time later. On the evening of the 24th,

Taiwan ambulance with Battenburg markings

Business and Economy

December 28, 2021December 28, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment

Taoyuan City received its first new ambulance painted in a distinctively new style designed to enhance visibility and safety, today, December 28. Taoyuan City Fire Department received the ambulance as a donation from the Taoyuan Charity Golf Association, noting that it was the first in the city to be painted with Battenburg markings. The distinctive pattern was designed in the UK in the 1990s, and have quickly spread to many countries who use the patterns to mark emergency vehicles. The

Weather

December 27, 2021December 27, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Mount Hehuan, snow, Taroko National Park, Yushan National Park

Pictures courtesy of Songsyue Lodge. Affected by a continental cold air mass, snow fell in high mountain areas of northern, central, and southern Taiwan this morning, including Mount Hehuan, Wuling Farm and Jiaming Lake. At Songsyue Lodge in Taroko National Park, more than five centimeters of snow was recorded. The first snow this winter was recorded at Mount Hehuan at around 8:00 am yesterday when it snowed for just two minutes. As the temperature dropped during the night, snow began

composite image of accident scene and arrested driver

Traffic Accidents

December 26, 2021December 26, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment drunk driving, Kaohsiung City, pedestrian-crossing

One person died and three were injured after a drunk driver hit a family of 4 using a pedestrian crossing in Kaohsiung City this evening, December 26. Witnesses said that a BMW sedan was travelling very fast when it hit the three women and one man in an area crowded with people who had just left a Christmas market on the banks of the Love River in Qianjin District at around 7:20 pm. A 37-year-old woman, named Fan, lost vital

composite image of air force c-130 and typhoon damage

Regional Typhoon

December 26, 2021December 26, 2021 Phillip Charlier 1 Comment Philippines, typhoon

Taiwan’s air force dispatched two C-130 flights carrying emergency supplies to the southern Philippines after a destructive category 5 typhoon left 378 dead, and an estimated 2.4 million people in need of emergency assistance. The first flight arrived in Cebu yesterday evening, December 25, and a second flight arrived this morning. Typhoon Rai, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Odette, made landfall on December 16. According to the latest statistics from the Philippine government, the typhoon left 378 dead, 742

damaged bow of container ship Asiatic Sun

Marine and Fisheries

December 26, 2021December 26, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Port of Taichung, shipping accident

A container ship appears to have sustained serious damage after crashing into a wharf at Taichung Port this morning, Sunday, December 26. Taichung Port authorities said that the container ship Asiatic Sun crashed into the Taichung Port Pier 8A as it was attempting to dock at 7:33 am. The Singapore-flagged 1,049 TEU Asiatic Sun is a 143 meter-long vessel with a gross tonnage of 9,610 tons, and was built in 2008 in Busan, Korea. The Maritime Port Bureau of the

Harley Davidsons and Santa at Luocuo Church Taiwan

Society

December 25, 2021December 25, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Changhua County, Christmas-in-Taiwan, Harley Davidson

Close to one hundred Harley Davidson motorcycle owners put on Santa costumes for a procession through Puxin Township, Changhua County, finishing at the Luocuo Church, known as the oldest Catholic church in central Taiwan. Organized by the “Iron Wings” Motorcycle Club, Harley riders from three counties converged on Puxin on the invitation of the town’s Mayor, who also happens to be a member of the club. Puxin Township Mayor, Zhang Chengyu, explained that the Lucuo Catholic Church usually organizes a

Two gravel truck drivers dead after head-on collision on Coastal Highway

Suspect arrested for killing coworker and attempting to disguise death as traffic accident

Explosion at key defense aerospace company kills 1, injures 6

1 dead, 3 injured, after out of control car mounts sidewalk in New Taipei City

Belize-registered ship aground in Penghu Islands after drifting crewless for four days

Taiwan’s ambulances sport new look designed for visibility, safety

Snow falls in high altitude areas of Central Mountain Range

Drunk driver plows into pedestrians on zebra crossing, leaving 1 dead, 3 injured in Kaohsiung City

Taiwan sends 2 air force transport planes of material relief to Philippines typhoon disaster zone

Container ship damaged after crashing into wharf at Port of Taichung

Santas on Harleys visit central Taiwan’s oldest Catholic church for Christmas