Taitung

Coast Guard to the Rescue of Orchid Island Test Candidates

students and coast guard officer
Society 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

The coast guard dispatched a patrol boat to Orchid Island yesterday to pick up two students who feared they would miss out on the College Entrance Examination after ferry services and flights to the island were cancelled due to bad weather. More than 136, 000 test candidates will sit for the exams today, Friday, January 26, and tomorrow, January 27. The tests are taken by students in their last year of high school, and are an important part of the

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Ultralight Plane Breaks up After Emergency Beach Landing in Taitung

ultralight plane crashed on beach
Aviation 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Two occupants of an ultralight aircraft declined medical treatment after making a forced landing on a beach near Chenggong Township in Taitung County this afternoon, December 6. The plane broke into several pieces after landing. Taitung County Fire Services Center received the first report of the incident at 15:33 pm. A member of the public reported that an airplane had lost power and made a forced landing on the beach, and that two pilots had disembarked from the wrecked aircraft.

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Rare Sharks found in Taitung

Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A marine survey by the Council of Agriculture Fisheries Research Institute off the coast of Taitung County turned up some rare specimens of viper shark (Trigonognathus kabeyai), first recorded off the coast of Japan in 1986. Five specimens were netted at a depth of 350 meters, and one of the fish survived. The marine biologists attempted to keep the shark alive using cold seawater at 10°C, but the animal only survived for one day. So far, the species has only

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Cops Fire Warning Shots During Arrest of Smash and Grab Robbers

plainclothes police officer fires a warning shot into the air as a crowd attempts to interfere in the arrest of two suspects
Crime and Criminals 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , , , ,

[Cover Picture originally published by China Times.] Police investigators in Taitung City located two suspects in a smash and grab robbery case today, and swooped in to arrest them while they were partaking in a temple procession. An angry crowd attempted to interfere in the arrest, leading cops to fire warning shots in the air to convince them back off. Yesterday afternoon, December 19, two suspects used an ax to smash a jewelry shop window in downtown Taitung City. The

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2 Dead 6 Injured After Head on Collision with Bus

car and bus involved in head-on collision
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

[Cover Picture: Taitung Fire Bureau.] Two people died and 6 were slightly injured after an SUV crashed head-on into a tourist bus on Highway 9 in Taitung County shortly before noon today, September 11. The driver and passenger of the car were trapped in the vehicle. The driver was found lifeless at the scene. The seriously injured passenger lost vital signs on the way to hospital. Six passengers on the bus were slightly injured. The accident occurred at around 11:40am

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Taitung County Macaque Loses Both Arms

severely injured Formosan macaque
Animals 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Concerned citizens have uploaded pictures of a severely injured Formosan macaque to a Facebook group in the hope of getting the attention of relevant authorities. A Facebook user surnamed Lee uploaded pictures and video taken on May 8 of a macaque in Taitung County’s Donghe township. The animal has both forelimbs missing, with exposed bone and bloody flesh. After the pictures were uploaded to the I Love Taitung Facebook group, other users also uploaded pictures of the same animal taken

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Green Island Tainted by Oil Spill

oil contamination Green Island March 10, 2017
Environment Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

At least 8 kilometers of coastline on Green Island in Taitung County has been contaminated by heavy oil, according to reports verified by coast guard officials stationed on the island. Liberty Times Network reported that reports of the oil spill began around 7:00pm March 10. Taitung Environmental Protection Bureau sent a team to investigate the oil spill. Saturday morning March 11, investigators found that around 10 kilometers, or around one-third of the island’s coastline had been contaminated by heavy oil.

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Taiwan International Surfing Open Kicks off in Taitung

a surfer practises before the Taiwan round of the World Surfing League's global competition
Sport 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

An opening ceremony today saw an Amis blessing ritual, and a performance by an indigenous drumming group, as surfers gathered for Taiwan’s only international surfing contest, in Taitung County, Donghe Township’s Jinzun Beach. Surfers will begin competing for NTD$2.5 million (more than USD$78,000) in prize money tomorrow, Thursday, November 24 until Sunday, November 27. Surfers began testing the waters today, and spectators gathered on the beach to watch the world class surfers warming up for tomorrow’s contest. The competition is

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Magnitude 6.0 Earthquake Rocks Taiwan’s East Coast

Earthquake 97 recorded in Taitung (Taidong) magnitude 6
Earthquakes 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A magnitude 6 earthquake centered 30.8 kilometers east-south-east of Taitung(Taidong) City, Taiwan, awoke residents in Taitung City and County at 11:51pm, October 6, 2016. Residents of Green Island felt it as a magnitude 5, while the rest of Taitung County felt it as a level 4. The tremblor was felt as far away as Taipei City. People in Taitung commented on how long the shaking continued. One resident in Taipei, where the earthquake only registered as a level 1, said

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Rock-slide on Southern Cross-Island Highway

A rockslide blocks the Southern Cross-Island Highway in Taiwan
Disaster 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A rock-slide on the Southern Cross Island Highway this afternoon destroyed a rockfall-protection tunnel, and will probably delay re-opening of the road, after recent typhoon damage caused it to be closed to traffic. Road repair crews working in the tunnel managed to escape as falling rocks warned them of the impending disaster. The tunnel, located at the 184 kilometer mark at Liukuo Hot Springs in Taitung County, was due to be cleared by November. At around 3:00pm rocks began falling.

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Typhoon Nepartak Wreaks Havoc in Taitung

Debris litters a street after a typhoon in Taitung City
Weather 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Taitung (Taidong) County, Taiwan, was the touchdown point for Typhoon Nepartak in the early hours of this morning, July 8, 2016. Taiwan awoke to scenes of destruction as the strongest typhoon to hit the island since 1955 made landfall slightly to the south of Taitung City. Cars and trucks were flipped over, and streets were blocked by collapsed awnings, signs and debris. Roofs were torn off buildings and windows imploded, leaving homes, convenience stores, and other businesses exposed to the

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