Hillside collapses onto highway in northern Taiwan: 2 minor injuries

aerial view of landslide in Keelung City
Disaster 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Two people were rescued and sent to hospital after a hillside collapsed onto the coastal highway at a popular scenic spot in Keelung City today, Monday, June 3. According to reports, the landslide occurred at 2:28 pm at the corner of Zhongzheng Road (Highway 2) and Chaojing Park Road. Boulders, rocks, and soil completely covered the highway and a carpark on the opposite side. Two people were rescued from one of the parked cars and sent to Chang Gung Memorial

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Elevated railway project faces delays after historic train turntable discovered in southern Taiwan

concrete base of railway train turntable
Business and Economy 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

Chiayi City’s elevated railway project was originally due to be completed by the end of 2025, but will likely face delays after a committee voted to preserve in situ a 116-year-old train turntable. The Japanese colonial era railway turntable was discovered while excavating the basement of the new Chiayi Railway Station in December 2023. A survey and study of the remnants by the Cultural Resources Review Committee determined that the turntable was built in 1908, and constituted a tangible cultural

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High school athlete in hospital after bravely rescuing elderly man from burning house

high school student in hospital
Society 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A high school student is recuperating in hospital after running into a burning building multiple times to rescue the elderly occupant in Toufen City, Miaoli County, yesterday, May 29. The second-year high school student, named Lin, was out to get breakfast when he noticed thick smoke pouring out of a house at around 4:30 am. Lin informed a convenience store clerk to call the fire department before responding to banging sounds coming from inside the house. Lin entered the house

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Record 2.4 tons of drugs destroyed: marijuana use increasing in Taiwan says MOJ

armed guard in front of drug shipment
Drugs 
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The Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau destroyed 2,445 kilograms of illicit drugs seized during investigations, and said that the amount of marijuana continues to increase. On May 10, officers from the Taipei City Police Department, New Taipei City Police Department, and National Highway Police Bureau guarded the route as heavily armed personnel from the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau flanked an armored truck borrowed from the Bank of Taiwan as it made its way from a secure warehouse to the

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Police officer found not guilty of fatal shooting during car chase in New Taipei City

car after chase and shooting
Society 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A police officer was declared not guilty of the fatal shooting that occurred in New Taipei City at a second trial over the March 2022 incident. According to the prosecution, at around 10:00 pm on March 22, 2022, a man named Lin was driving a Mercedes Benz sedan carrying his girlfriend and two male friends in Zhonghe District. A police officer named Zhang noticed that the car had obvious impact damage on the left side, and ran a check on

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Heavy rain and flood warnings issued as rainy season front hovers over Taiwan

cars pass through flooded area
Weather 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

The Central Weather Administration issued a heavy rain warning covering Taiwan’s western plains and central mountain range, with flood alert warnings in effect for Taichung, Miaoli, and Hsinchu as a rainy season front hovers over the island today, May 28. At 7:55 am, a CWA heavy rain warning covered most of Taiwan from Keelung City in the north to Pingtung County in the south, excluding only the east coast counties of Yilan, Hualien, and Taidong. An extremely heavy rain warning

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Two firefighters dead: hundreds rescued from residential building fire. Many still trapped

firefighting appliances and ambulances
Fire 
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Two firefighters are dead, and one resident of an apartment building was injured, after hundreds of people were evacuated from a smoke-filled residential building in Hsinchu City last night. The Hsinchu City Fire Bureau received reports of a fire at a condominium complex in East District at 10:55 pm Sunday, May 26. Fire bureau personnel arrived at the scene and found the source of the fire to be electrical cables producing a large amount of thick smoke. The fire was

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China launches military drill around Taiwan as punishment for electing pro-independence President

PLA military drill map
Military Affairs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

China launched a major military drill in waters surrounding Taiwan this morning as “a strong punishment” against “Taiwan independence forces” three days after the inauguration of Taiwan’s new President, William Lai. The Chinese Communist Party People’s Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command announced that it will start joint exercises around Taiwan at 7:45 am today, May 23. The exercise areas include the Taiwan Strait, Kinmen Island, Matsu Island, Wuqiu Island, Dongyin Island, and sea areas north, south, and east of Taiwan.

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Passengers take down knife attacker on 10th anniversary of Taipei Metro Attack

composite picture showing bystanders taking down knife attacker
Violent Crimes 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

Three people were sent to hospital after a man traveling on a Taichung City MRT train suddenly attacked people with a knife before he was subdued by other passengers today, Tuesday, May 21. According to reports, a 20-year-old man, named Hong, boarded a train at Shui’an Temple Station at around 11:15 am. When the train was approaching City Hall Station, Hong suddenly took out a knife and lunged at another man. Many passengers scrambled away from the carriage in fear,

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Plastics factory burns all night, prompting air pollution warning in Tainan City

fire destroys factory in Tainan City
Fire 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Firefighters are still battling a blaze in Tainan City, more than 12 hours after a plastics factory caught fire Monday night. The Tainan City Government Fire Bureau received reports of a fire at the factory in Jiali District at around 9:50 pm. TCGFB dispatched vehicles and personnel from five fire stations in surrounding districts to extinguish the fire. Firefighters were confronted by a fierce blaze fueled by a large amount of petrochemical and plastics raw materials, which completely consumed the

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Gogoro battery swap station explodes and catches fire in Kaohsiung City

gas station employee attacks fire with fire extinguisher
Business and Economy 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A battery exchange station for a popular brand of electric scooter exploded and caught fire at a gas station in Kaohsiung City this morning, but fortunately there were no casualties. Kaohsiung City Fire Department received reports that a Gogoro battery station was on fire at a gas station on Zhongzheng 4th Road in Qianjin District at 10:58 am. A gas station employee immediately attempted to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher, and police from the Kaohsiung City Police Station

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