Serial freeway crash involving 14 vehicles leaves 2 dead, chemical tanker leaking in southern Taiwan

An accident on National Highway 1 in Kaohsiung City caused a chemical tanker leak, and a crash in the resulting traffic jam left two dead and several people injured, Taiwanese media outlets reported Tuesday morning.

Kaohsiung City Fire Department received reports of a three-vehicle accident involving a chemical tanker at the 338.5 kilometer mark in the southbound lanes of National Highway 1 in Luzhu District at 5:08 am. Firefighters from Kaohsiung City and Tainan City were dispatched to the scene of the accident.

When firefighters arrived, a chemical tanker containing 30,000 liters of sodium hydroxide was overturned and leaking. Two drivers were injured, including one who suffered an open leg fracture.

Firefighters supervised by staff from the Environmental Protection Agency watered down the strong alkali compound to dilute the chemical leaking from the tanker.

A second multi-vehicle accident was reported about 500 meters behind the initial accident at 5:32 am. A total of 11 vehicles were involved in the second accident, including heavy trucks, cars, and a bus carrying 7 passengers. Firefighters found a 50-year-old man obviously dead at the scene of the accident, and a 57-year-old woman was sent to hospital without vital signs. The woman was later declared dead at the hospital. Three people were sent to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

A serious traffic jam extending more than five kilometers snagged commuters during morning rush hour, and the accident scenes were finally cleared at around 8:30 am.

The National Highway Police Bureau is still investigating the cause of the accidents.

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