hualien

Tourism operators disappointed after luxury cruise ship cancels east coast port of call due to bad weather

Cruise ship Seven Seas Mariner passes by the Port of Hualien
Travel and Tourism 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

A cruise ship carrying 500 passengers sailed past the port of Hualien, and will sail directly to Keelung Harbor, after the captain of the vessel decided that high winds and swells made it unsafe to enter the port. The Seven Seas Mariner was scheduled to dock at the Port of Hualien at 7:00 am today, March 13. However, sustained winds of level 6 to 7 on the Beaufort Scale, gusts up to Beaufort-scale 10, and swells of 3 to 4

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No casualties in Hualien building collapse: motorist seen in dashcam footage found safe

collapsing building and scooter rider
Disaster 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

It is believed there were no casualties caused by a building collapse in Hualien City earlier today after rescue crews performed a thorough search using specialized equipment, and a man seen riding a scooter under the collapsing building was traced by police and found safe. See Previous story: Hotel under demolition collapses onto road in Hualien City Early reports on the collapse of the former Manbo Holiday Hotel included dashcam video footage that showed a scooter rider in the path

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Hotel under demolition collapses onto road in Hualien City

collapsed building in Hualien City aerial view
Disaster 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A six story building collapsed onto a road in Hualien City during demolition work this afternoon and rescue crews are searching for possible casualties. The former Manbo Holiday Hotel on Guolian 5th Road collapsed onto the roadway at around 3:00 pm. While it is not known if there were any casualties, dashcam footage of the collapse shows a person passing by on a scooter at the time. At least three parked vehicles were crushed by the collapsed building. Hualien County

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Rare megamouth shark caught off Taiwan’s east coast

megamouth shark
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 5 Comments ,

A megamouth shark caught by a fishing boat operating out of Hualien was sold to a restaurant after fishery authorities inspected the specimen and took samples today, May 6. The 3.5 meter long shark weighed in at 612 kilograms after being brought into port by the Xin-Shenbao 36 fishing vessel shortly after 6:00am this morning. The captain reported the catch to the Hualien Port Security Office, as required by law. After inspection and sampling, the shark was sold by auction

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One dead, one injured after paragliding accident in Hualien County

Travel and Tourism 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A paragliding coach died, and a passenger was injured, after snagging power lines and falling around 20 meters to the ground in Wanrong Township, Hualien County this morning, February 10. Shortly after 8:00am, 57-year-old paragliding operator Wang Tian-ming (王田明) launched a tandem flight with a 25-year-old male Chinese tourist named Tao (陶) in what are described in media reports as windy and foggy conditions. Shortly before 8:30am, the paraglider canopy snagged high-voltage power lines around 30 meters above a betel

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Woman Survives Typhoon Night After Slipping Down Seaside Slope

woman on slope above cliff
Typhoon 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

A woman in Hualien County spent the night precariously perched above the ocean after slipping 50 meters down a slope while Typhoon Maria swept over the island from yesterday to the early hours of this morning. Ms Lee, 56, a taxi driver from New Taipei City, was heading home from Hualien on the Suhua Highway sometime after 5:00pm when she stopped to take pictures from the roadside. While taking pictures, Ms Lee accidentally dropped her handbag, climbed over the guardrail

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Trains Delayed after 5.6 Earthquake Rocks East Coast

cwb earthquake map
Earthquakes 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A 5.6 magnitude earthquake shook the east coast counties of Hualien and Taidong this morning, causing Taiwan Railways Administration to order all trains traveling between Fengtian and Ruisui to slow down until safety inspections are completed along the route. The earthquake struck at 7:10 am centered 38.64 kilometers east of Hualien County Yuli Earthquake Station with a maximum intensity of magnitude 5 felt in Changbin Township, Taitung County. Coastal townships south of Hualien City felt a magnitude 4. Maximum earthquake

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Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 10: CWB Can’t Rule Out Possibility of Bigger Quake to Follow

partially collapsed building in hualien city 2018
Earthquakes 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

The Central Disaster Response Center this evening, February 8, said that the current death toll from the Hualien earthquake now stands at 10, with 272 injured, and seven missing. A total of 772 people are in emergency accommodations. Among the deceased are four Chinese nationals, and a Filipino carer named Melody who was found trapped in a closet in the ill-fated Yun-Men Tsui-di building. Among the missing are five Chinese Nationals, and two Canadian citizens with the surnames Su (蘇)

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Remains of Missing Mountain Climber Found

remains of firefighter carried on a strectcher
Breaking News 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

The remains of Taipei firefighter Li Ying-xun (李盈勳), who went missing in a mountainous region of Hualian County March 1 were found yesterday July 20. The skeletal remains were found at the bottom of a 100 meter drop by an aboriginal hunter, Yang Zhong-zheng (楊忠正) who was guiding a civilian team searching for Li. Firefighters from Taipei and Hualian, and army personnel spent 20 days searching for Li in March this year. During the search in precipitous terrain and under

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Rare Mega-mouth Shark Caught off Hualien

megamouth shark
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A fisherman contacted authorities after catching a rare mega mouth shark in waters off the coast of Hualien County on Taiwan’s east coast this morning, May 16. The captain of the fishing boat, Mr Wu, notified the coast guard, as required by law, after bringing up the 5 meter-long, 700kg shark. The shark has already been sold to a seafood restaurant in Ilan County’s Suao township. Apple Daily reported that the restaurant paid NT$80 per kilogram for the shark. Kuroshio

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24 ton Rock Falls off Truck

The moment that a 24 ton rock falls off a truck is caught on dashcam in Hualien
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Drivers stopped at an intersection in Hualien this morning were lucky to escape being crushed when a 24 ton block of rock fell off a truck. The block damaged the road, and caused traffic to be blocked, but fortunately nobody was injured. The driver of the truck has been charged with a range of offenses, including drunk driving. He reportedly was suffering a hangover, and recorded a blood-alcohol content of 0.15. Other offenses include failing to secure his load, and

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