Taitung County

Toxic pesticide found in blood samples after 3 die, 12 sickened in aboriginal village

traditional millet dumpling
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Toxicologists identified highly toxic pesticide in blood samples of eight victims of a food poisoning case that resulted in three deaths and another eight people hospitalized in Taitung County, Wednesday. According to reports, 12 people in Binmao Village, Jinfeng Township, were sickened after consuming traditional millet dumplings Wednesday night. According to the investigation so far, the poisoning case began after an 83-year-old woman, named Tseng, prepared the dumplings, which included snails collected from a nearby rice paddy. Tseng became sick

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Hiker dies after Asian giant hornet attack on mountain trail in southeastern Taiwan

Firefighters rescue hiker after hornet attack
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A hiking guide died in hospital after being stung more than 50 times as he attempted to protect a group of 20 students from a swarm of Asian giant hornets on a trail in Taitung County, yesterday, August 22. According to reports, the hiking group were traversing the Jinshuiying Ancient Trail from Pingtung County to Taitung County when they were attacked by a swarm of Asian giant hornets (Vespa mandarinia) around 2.5 kilometers from the trail exit in Dawu Township

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Surfers suspend competition, perform ceremony for contestant who died in traffic accident

a surfer in the foreground clenches flowers in with his teeth as he paddles out
Sport 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Surfers competing in the Taiwan Open of Surfing in Taitung County today suspended the morning’s events, and held a paddle-out ceremony for an Indonesian contestant who died in a traffic accident yesterday. More than 100 surfers carried flowers and paddled out of the surf zone to form a circle before holding a minute’s silence in remembrance of 24-year-old pro surfer Febriansyah. The Taitung County Government liaised with Indonesia’s representative office in Taiwan to contact and provide assistance to Febriansyah’s family.

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Indonesian pro surfer dead after motorcycle accident on Taiwan’s east coast

scene of accident
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

An Indonesian man visiting Taiwan to compete in an international surfing competition was declared dead at the hospital, after suffering serious injuries in a motorcycle accident on the coastal highway in Taitung County last night, November 10. Police and Fire Department paramedics responded to reports of a single-vehicle accident on Highway 11 in Donghe Township shortly after midnight, Friday. The 24-year-old Indonesian national, Febriansyah was found seriously injured after crashing into a tree while riding a motor scooter. Febriansyah was

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Taiwan records world’s third-strongest wind gust: 95.2 m/s at 9:52 pm in postcode 952

wind speed record graph
Typhoon 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

The fastest wind speed ever recorded in Taiwan measured 95.2 meters per second, and was recorded at 9:52 pm yesterday, October 4, on Orchid Island (Lanyu), Taiwan postcode 952. Some media outlets, including The Guardian are reporting that the measurement constitutes the third-fastest wind speed measured in the in the world, after 113.3 m/s recorded on Barrow Island, Australia in 1996, and 103.2 m/s at Mount Washington, New Hampshire, in 1934. According to Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration, the 95.2 m/s

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Monkey hit and killed by motorcycle, rider injured

composite image showing injured rider and dead macaque
Animals Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A motorcyclist was sent to hospital with minor injuries, and a Formosan macaque died after it ran across the road and was hit by a motorcycle in Taitung County yesterday, May 7 Police from the Dawu police station received a report of an accident involving a heavy motorcycle at the 395.7 kilometer mark on Provincial Highway 9 in Taimali Township at around 1:00 pm. According to witnesses, the macaque suddenly dashed out onto the road and the rider, named Lin,

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Freighter that sank off east coast has more than 80,000 liters of oil and petroleum products aboard: too deep to salvage

composite image of ship and oil containers
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , , ,

Taiwan port and maritime authorities are monitoring an area off the coast of Taitung County after a freighter carrying 81,000 liters of oil and petroleum products sank after a collision with another ship two days ago. The Taitung-based freighter Dafa No.1 sank 16.2 nautical miles southeast of Fugang Harbor after a collision with the Liberian-flagged oil tanker, Lia, shortly after midnight April 26. See previous story: Taiwanese freighter sinks after collision with oil tanker: crew of 9 rescued Yesterday, it

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Taiwanese freighter sinks after collision with oil tanker: crew of 9 rescued

crew in lifeboat and coast guard personnel
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , , ,

Taiwan’s coast guard rescued 9 people who were aboard a freighter that sank off Taiwan’s east coast after being hit by a oil tanker shortly after midnight this morning, April 26. The Taiwanese cargo ship Dafa No.1 was carrying supplies from Fugang Harbor, Taitung to Orchid Island when it was hit by the 42,010 gross-ton Liberian-registered oil tanker Lia (IMO: 9417751) traveling between Kuwait and South Korea. Keelung Coastal Radio picked up a distress call from the Dafa No.1 saying that

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Pilot rescued after fighter plane crashes into ocean

Taiwan Air Force Dassault Mirage 2000
Military Affairs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

An ROC Air Force fighter jet crashed into the ocean off Taiwan’s east coast this morning, and the pilot was rescued after ejecting from the aircraft, according the Ministry of National Defense. At 11:25 am, The Dassault Mirage 2000 crashed into the Pacific Ocean around 10 nautical miles off the coast of Taitung County after taking off from the Taitung Chihhang Air Base at 10:08 am. Executive Yuan Spokesperson Lo Ping-cheng said that the Ministry of National Defense had dispatched

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Cargo ship aground on Taiwan’s east coast

general cargo ship Uniprofit aground on east coast of Taiwan
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment , ,

A Belize-flagged freighter has run aground on the coast of Taitung County, and authorities are preparing equipment and personnel in case of an oil spill today, Tuesday, March 8. The 6,653 gross ton Uniprofit was en route from Yantai, China to Bahudopi, Indonesia carrying general cargo in 149 20-foot containers when it lost power off the east coast of Taiwan. Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration received a report that the vessel was around one nautical mile off the coast without power

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Bus plows into vehicles, house after driver loses control on east coast highway

bus crashed into vehicles and house on highway 11 in Taitung County
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment , ,

Fortunately nobody was injured when a bus driver lost control of his vehicle and crashed into vehicles and a building in Changbin Township, Taitung County this morning, February 13. The bus traveling southbound from Hualien City to Chenggong Township via the scenic coastal Highway 11, was carrying just one passenger when it crashed into a scooter, two light trucks, and a cultivator before hitting a house and shop at 7:50 am. Police breath tested the 52-year-old driver and found he

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