Taitung County

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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Indonesian caregiver, employer, die in fire in Taitung City

composite image of building on fire and rescued person
Fire 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

An Indonesian national, and the daughter-in-law of the elderly woman she cared for were both declared dead, and two other people were injured when rescued from a burning mixed commercial and residential building in Taitung City in the early hours of this morning, December 21. The Taitung City Fire Department dispatched personnel after reports of a fire at a pharmacy on Xingsheng Road at around 1:00 am. Firefighters deployed water lines to fight the fire and simultaneously dispatched personnel to

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Police find 1 of 3 missing river tracers: search for 2 continues

composite image of found man with police and map of area
Breaking News 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Taitung County police have found one man who was a member of a river tracing group reported missing yesterday, and will continue to search for the remaining two missing men, who they believe were washed away while attempting to wade across a stream. On Friday, December 10, the three men, named Hsu, Du, and Luo, began a three day hike and river tracing trip aiming to reach Lulu Hot Springs in a remote mountain area in Haiduan Township. On the

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Taiwan Bear rescued from trap released after 8 month rehabilitation

Formosan black bear released into the wild
Animals 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A Formosan black bear rescued from an animal trap in Taitung County in December regained his freedom today after eight months recovering from wounds and surgery. Umas, as the bear was named, was found caught in a boar trap in the mountain district of Haiduan Township in December 2020. Estimated to be between one and two years old, Umas was found to have old and new injuries, including fractures, necrosis of his right forelimb, and gunshot wounds. After recovering from

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Taitung County councillor goes naked in support of vaccines for medics

Taitung County Councillor Gu Zhicheng, naked
Politics 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment , ,

A Taitung County Councillor has come under criticism after uploading pictures of himself naked but for a surgical mask and a piece of A4 paper covering his private parts with a message “support doctors and nurses, want vaccines, come on!” According to reports, Gu Zhicheng (古志成), of the Koumintang Party(KMT/Chinese Nationalist Party), uploaded the picture to a private Line group. However, a member of the group leaked the picture to Facebook, where it has been subject to wide condemnation. Gu

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Man seriously injured after paraglider accident

injured paraglider being put into ambulance
Aviation 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A paragliding instructor was rushed to hospital with serious injuries after crash landing on a beach in Dulan Township, Taitung County today, April 23. According to China Times, the 70-year-old senior instructor, named Deng, was flying a powered paraglider at around noon, when it suddenly lost power and fell from a height of around three stories. Witnesses at a nearby camping area immediately called emergency services and rushed to the man’s assistance. Deng suffered a serious head injury and was

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