Hualian County

Taiwan’s east coast rocked by 95 earthquakes overnight: largest magnitude 6.3

Fukai Hotel tilting dangerously after earthquake
Earthquakes 
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Work and classes are suspended in Hualien County today after 95 earthquakes occurred between midnight and 7:30 a.m., keeping many residents awake all night, and leaving two buildings tilting dangerously. According to the Central Weather Administration, more than 1,000 aftershocks have occurred since a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the area on April 3. Of the 95 earthquakes that occurred this morning, two earthquakes of 6.0 magnitude or greater occurred just five minutes apart at around 2:30 a.m. The Fukai Hotel

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Two separate bus accidents on Taiwan’s east coast occurred just 11 minutes apart: 21 injured

composite image showing two bus accidents
Traffic Accidents 
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A bus driver in Hualien County was seriously injured, and 19 passengers on a bus in Yilan County suffered minor injuries, in two separate bus accidents that occurred just 11 minutes apart this afternoon, Wednesday, October 4. In Yilan County, a tour bus traveling from Hualien City to Taoyuan rear-ended another coach in the northbound lanes at the exit of the Su’ao Tunnel on Provincial Highway 9 at 3:19 pm. Nineteen passengers on the rear bus suffered cuts and bruises

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Abandoned Newborn found on Riverbank in Hualien

abandoned baby found in Hualien
Society 
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A woman found a newborn baby in a carry bag under a bridge in Xincheng Township, Hualien County, yesterday evening. The baby still had the umbilical cord attached and was covered in blood and meconium. At around 5:30pm, Ms Lee went to tend her vegetable patch on the banks of of a stream near Xinsheng Bridge, when she heard the cries of a baby from the direction of the bridge. At first, Lee assumed the sound was coming from on

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Driver of 21 ton Truck Arrested for Drunk Driving

Health and Safety 
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Police in Hualien County arrested the driver of a 21 ton concrete mixer truck after he was found to have a breath alcohol content of 0.7mg/l (Blood Alcohol Content approximately 0.15%). Police from Ji’an Police Station pulled over the driver April 2, after he was spotted driving on a section of road prohibited to heavy vehicles. Police noticed a strong smell of alcohol, and administered a breath test. The 57 year-old driver, named Gu, admitted that he had drunk heavily

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Woman Struck by Train in Hualien County

Breaking News 
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A woman near Hualien County’s Fuli Station was struck by a train and seriously injured this evening, April 4. The woman survived but sustained serious injuries. The Tze-Chiang class limited express #439 northbound from Taidong to New Taipei City hit the 48 year-old woman about 800 meters south of Fuli Station at around 6:00pm. The injured woman was rushed to Yuli Veteran’s Hospital for emergency treatment, then was transferred to Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital due to the seriousness of her

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Cyclists Gear Up for Grueling Mountain Race: Taiwan KOM

Winners of the 2016 Taiwan KOM
Sport 
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[Cover Picture: Taiwan Cycling Federation] Local and International cyclists are preparing for one of the world’s longest and highest mountain climb cycling events Friday October 20, the Taiwan King of the Mountain(KOM). The race will start at 6:00am at Qixingtan Beach, XinCheng Township, Hualian County. Taking the Central Cross-island Highway, riders will cover over 100 kilometers and cover an altitude of 3,500 meters to finish at the summit at Wuling at an altitude of 3,275 meters, Taiwan’s highest mountain pass.

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Seven Tourists Suffer Slight Injuries in Hualian Bus Crash

tour bus crash
Traffic Accidents 
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Seven passengers received treatment in hospital after a tour bus careered into a concrete landmark at the entrance of Beipu Village in Hualian County today. The tour bus was carrying a group of 27 tourists from Jiangsu Province, China, when it swerved to avoid a car at an intersection. The driver lost control on the wet road at around noon. Police are investigating the accident.

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Documentary Maker Dies in Helicopter Crash

Chi Polin taking photographs from a helicopter above Taipei City
Breaking News 
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Award winning documentary maker Chi Po-lin (齊柏林) was killed along with a production-assistant and the pilot, when a helicopter crashed in Hualian County this morning. Chi was known for his documentary “Beyond Beauty-Taiwan From Above,” which won Best Documentary Award at the 2013 Golden Horse Awards, and grossed NT$220 million (US$7.3 million) at the box office, making it the highest-grossing documentary in Taiwan history. On Thursday, the 52 year-old filmmaker had announced that he was working on a sequel to

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Rare Omura’s Whale Sighted off Hualian

omura's whale photographed off Hualian, Taiwan
Marine and Fisheries 
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One of the world’s most mysterious species, the Omura’s Whale (Balaenoptera omurai) was recorded on video by whale watchers off the coast of Hualian on May 20. The video was uploaded to Facebook, allowing a Japanese whale expert to identify the species. It is the first confirmed record of the species in Taiwan waters. Kuroshio Ocean Education foundation spokesperson He Zile (何姿樂) said that adult Omura’s Whales grow up to 10 meters long, so the individual recorded is a juvenile.

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Search for Missing Firefighter Called Off after 20 Days

search party in Hualian County
Society 
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[Picture: United Daily News] The search for a Taipei firefighter who went missing while on a hiking trip in Hualian County has been suspended after search and rescue teams failed to find a trace of the man after 20 days. Firefighter Li Ying-xun (李盈勳) lost contact with his two hiking partners when he went searching for water at around 4:00pm March 1. Due to the remoteness of the location it was more than 24 hours until the men were able

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Canadian Tourists Have a Beer at Taroko Gorge

tourists on bridge at taroko gorge hualian county
Stupid Stuff 
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A trio of Canadian tourists shocked the public, Christmas Eve, 2016, by climbing to the top of a bridge over Taroko Gorge in Hualian County. The visitors drank beer while taking in the view. TVBS gathered footage from various members of the public who witnessed the incident. One of the bridge-walkers was interviewed at the scene. When asked if he was a professional climber, he responded: “No. I’m a skateboarder.” Another member of the group was filmed making a rapid,

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