Sand and gravel factory spill kills passing motorist

A taxi driver died after a pile of soil collapsed and burst through the sheet metal walls of a sand and gravel factory onto a road in Guishan District, Taoyuan City this morning, October 12.

Taoyuan City police said that the incident happened around 4:30 am on East Wanshou Road. The soil spill completely blocked one side of the road.

A 56-year-old taxi driver, named Dai(戴), who passing by at the time was buried alive in the soil collapse.

Taoyuan City Fire Department dispatched 7 vehicles and 22 personnel to the scene of the incident. An excavator was brought in to assist with the rescue attempt. However, the body of the taxi driver was extracted at 6:30 am, and the man had obviously died and was not sent to the hospital.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation. Heavy rain is believed to have been a contributing factor.

Mr Dai’s family said that Dai had just begun his shift and passed by on that road every morning on his way to work.

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