Swarm of 30 earthquakes shakes Taiwan’s east coast this morning

July 14, 2021July 14, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment earthquake, Hualien County

A series of 27 earthquakes with the largest at magnitude 5.2 centered in Hualien County shook Taiwan’s east coast this morning but only minor damage was reported. Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said that the earthquakes are probably aftershocks from a rare double-main shock event that happened last week. Tuesday and Wednesday July 7 and 8 saw a series of 15 earthquakes with two shocks over magnitude 5 centered around Shoufong Township. At 6:52 am this morning, July 14, a

site of lightning strike on riverside pathway in Miaoli City

Weather

July 14, 2021July 14, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Miaoli County, thunderstorms

A man died after being struck by lightning while jogging when a thunderstorm hit the area in Miaoli City yesterday evening, July 13. The Miaoli City Fire Department received reports that a man had been struck by lightning on a pathway atop the riverside levee bank opposite the National Miaoli Agricultural and Industrial Vocational High School at 6:25 pm. Fire department paramedics found the 31-year-old man, named Liu, without vital signs, and with injuries consistent with that of a lightning

workers escape from Ampacs International Vietnam

Business and Economy

July 12, 2021July 12, 2021 Phillip Charlier 1 Comment COVID-19, vietnam, workers protest

Hundreds of workers at a Taiwanese-owned factory in Vietnam knocked down the steel gate and went home after being locked in for COVID screening after an employee tested positive, Saturday, July 10. While some reports paint a picture of workers panicking and fleeing in fear after hearing that one of their coworkers was infected, it appears that the workers actually knocked down the gates and went home after being sealed in for mandatory COVID testing at the end of a

Traffic Accidents

July 11, 2021July 11, 2021 Phillip Charlier 1 Comment battery-fire, electric vehicles, Tainan City, Tesla Motors

Firefighters in Tainan City used an estimated 20 tons of water to fight a fire after a Tesla electric car caught fire following a crash in Tainan City last week, according to the Tainan City Fire Bureau. Captain Chiu Yuan-ming (邱淵明) said that normally around three tons of water is required to extinguish an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle fire. However, much more water is required to extinguish an electric vehicle fire. According to the traffic police investigation, the 43-year-old

Italian national arrested after attempted robbery of convenience store

Society

July 10, 2021July 10, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment New Taipei City, Tucheng District

An Italian national who was sentenced to two years in prison for attempting to rob a convenience store in New Taipei City last year lost his appeal to the Supreme Court and will serve the full term before being deported, according to United Daily News. Bruno Giuliano Maicol, aged in his 30s, was sentenced in November 2020 after being found guilty of an attempted armed robbery in which he held a pair of scissors to a female convenience store clerk’s

Business and Economy

July 6, 2021July 6, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment economy, employment

The economic effects of Taiwan’s Level 3 epidemic restrictions have been felt in the employment sector, with unemployment up, and employment numbers seeing biggest drop in history on a month by month basis, according to May data released by the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics today, July 6. The unemployment rate for May rose to 4.11%, up from 3.64% in April, marking the highest unemployment rate since 2013. The human resources survey data was collected between May 23 and

medical and administration staff of Gangshan Armed Forces Hospital

Drugs

July 6, 2021July 6, 2021 Phillip Charlier 1 Comment Kaohsiung City, medicine, pharmaceutical industry

Thirteen military medical officers from an armed forces hospital in Kaohsiung City were handed sentences ranging from 1 year, 9 months to 7 years, 8 months for taking bribes from pharmaceutical company representatives in return for prescribing specific drugs to patients, according to reports today, July 6. The Kaohsiung District Court found that pharmaceutical companies provided bribes ranging from NT$170,000 to nearly NT$1 million to doctors and hospital administrators of the Gangshan Armed Forces Hospital in return for prescribing their

Health and Safety

July 5, 2021October 1, 2022 Phillip Charlier 1 Comment COVID-19, pandemic

A migrant worker who died of smoke asphyxiation while quarantined in a building that caught fire in Changhua City last week was added to the list of COVID-19 fatalities, according to the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and she may be one of many on the list of COVID deaths who didn’t actually die of COVID. The 43-year-old female Indonesian national tested positive for COVID-19 June 11, after becoming ill June 8, and was staying in a quarantine hotel

car involved in pedestrian crossing drunk driving accident

Traffic Accidents

July 1, 2021July 1, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment drunk-driver, New Taipei City, pedestrian-crossing, Zhonghe District

Four people were injured, two seriously, after a driver ran a red light and plowed into pedestrians crossing the road outside the Jingan Metro Station in New Taipei City’s Zhonghe District this evening, July 1. According to SETN, a 51-year-old male named Huang, driving a Mitsubishi sedan, hit one man and four women on the zebra crossing at around 7:30 pm. Huang was tested for alcohol and found to have a BrAC of 0.89 mg/l, more than three times the

Fire

July 1, 2021July 1, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Changhua County, COVID-19, firefighters, quarantine

Four people died, including one firefighter, and 22 people were injured after a fire in a building housing a quarantine hotel in Changhua City last night, June 30. A fire broke out on the second floor of the 15-storey Qiaoyou Building at around 7:45 pm. Twenty-nine people under mandatory quarantine, and two employees were in the hotel on the 7th to 9th floors when the fire broke out. Changhua County Fire Department received the first reports of the fire at

Crime and Criminals

June 30, 2021June 30, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment

A man who was found to be wanted on charges of injury attempted to evade arrest by accusing police of breaching epidemic restrictions that ban people gathering in groups. The deputy-director of Zhonglu Police Station in Taoyuan City was walking home from work yesterday when he noticed a car parked illegally and affecting traffic safety on Zhongshan Road. Officer Lin approached the car and noticed that the driver was asleep. Lin, suspecting possible drunk driving, called patrol officers to the

Swarm of 30 earthquakes shakes Taiwan’s east coast this morning

Jogger killed by lightning strike in Miaoli City

Workers at Taiwanese factory in Vietnam knock down gates and leave after being locked in for COVID tests

Tesla fire in Tainan City took 20 tons of water, 1 hour to extinguish

Italian man loses appeal in attempted armed robbery case

Unemployment at 8-year high; employment numbers see biggest drop in history thanks to pandemic restrictions

13 doctors convicted, sentenced for taking pharmaceutical company bribes

Lies, damn lies, and COVID statistics: why are obviously non-COVID deaths counted as COVID fatalities?

Drunk driver runs red, injures 4 on pedestrian crossing

Four dead including one firefighter in COVID quarantine hotel fire

Wanted man accuses cops of breaching epidemic restrictions by “gathering” to arrest him