Taoyuan City

Pharma factory fire spreads to 5 other factories and may not be extinguished until tomorrow

fire at SCI Pharmtech factory
Fire 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A fire that started after an explosion at the SCI Pharmtech factory in Taoyuan City shortly after noon today continues to burn this evening, and has spread to five neighboring factories. Large quantities of highly volatile solvents poured out of tanks after the initial explosion, making an intense fire, with risk of further explosions. These conditions prevented firefighters from approaching the main fire this afternoon. Strong winds generated by the northeast monsoon, and a sudden change in wind direction caused

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Pharmaceutical factory on fire after explosion: 2 injured

Fire 
Phillip Charlier 5 Comments , , ,

An explosion at a pharmaceutical factory in Taoyuan City left two injured and caused a fire early this afternoon, December 20. People as far as Tamsui District in New Taipei City reported hearing the massive blast shortly after noon. Immediately after the blast, thick black smoke could be seen pouring out of the SCI Pharmtech factory. Firefighters responding to the fire found two people injured. A 30-year-old foreign migrant worker suffered third-degree burns to 80%-90% of his body, and is

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High-tech traffic cameras installed at intersection capture 812 violations on first day of operation

traffic lane violation recorded by traffic law enforcement camera
Business and Economy 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

New traffic law enforcement cameras installed at an intersection at National Freeway 1 Linkou Interchange yesterday, November 2, have already racked up 812 violations, netting NT$484,200 in fines after just 24 hours. The Traffic Police Corps of Taoyuan City Police Department said that the new law enforcement equipment can cover a variety of traffic violations. As well as red-light runners, the cameras can capture and record illegal lane changes, and cars using left or right turn lanes to go straight,

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Toddler’s finger bitten off by rabbit at leisure farm

rabbit at Goat World Leisure Farm
Animals 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A toddler who put his finger through the wire of a rabbit pen at a leisure farm in Taoyuan City had the end of one of his fingers bitten off two days ago. The story is being widely covered in local media today after the mother of another child, who witnessed the incident, posted the story on Facebook. The Taoyuan City Fire Bureau confirmed that the incident happened shortly before 3:00 pm Friday, September 25. A fire bureau ambulance was

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Man who murdered, beheaded mother found not guilty: affected by drugs

Liang after acquittal
Violent Crimes 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A man who murdered and beheaded his mother before tossing her head from their 12th floor apartment in Taoyuan City was found not guilty by Taiwan’s High Court today, because he was affected by drugs at the time. On October 18, 2018, Liang Chong-ming stabbed his mother 37 times, cut off an arm and her head with a machete, then tossed the head into the courtyard of their gated community. Liang was arrested and found to be under the influence

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One worker dead, three injured after construction site ground collapse

excavators at site of ground collapse
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A female worker’s body was recovered 13 hours after she was buried alive on a construction site in Taoyuan City yesterday afternoon, April 30. Four people were trapped after the ground collapsed at the site of an underground car park construction project in Pingzhen District shortly after 4:00 pm. Three of the trapped workers were rescued and two were treated for cuts and bruises, but a 62-year-old woman remained missing. Firefighters worked all night in a search and rescue operation

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Tesla catches fire after crash: driver dies

Tesla burns after crash
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 4 Comments ,

A Tesla Model 3 caught fire after hitting a traffic island and overturning in Taoyuan City in the early hours of the morning, April 1, killing the driver. Firefighters found the car ablaze when they arrived at the scene of the single-vehicle crash on Zhongzheng Road, Longtan District at around 12:30 am Wednesday morning. Details of the incident were widely reported today after one of the firefighters wrote a detailed Facebook post about the procedure of dealing with an AEV

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Female passenger dies after police fire at car during drunk-driver chase

An ambulance in Taoyuan City
Society 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

Police in Taoyuan City shot at a car, accidentally hitting a woman sitting in the back seat, after the driver rammed a police vehicle, then drove at the officers last night, March 27. Officers from a police station in Bade District were on a routine patrol on Jieshou Road at around 11:40 pm when they spotted a suspected drunk driver, according reports in Liberty Times and United Daily News. The officers signaled the driver, a 48-year-old man named Wu (

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Sub-machine gun, pistols seized in Taoyuan City Casino raid

mk9 submachine gun
Crime and Criminals 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Police charged two men with weapons offences after guns were seized during a raid on an underground casino operating in Taoyuan City, December 1. Miaoli County, and Taoyuan City police units had been keeping a suspect known to be armed, and suspected of using a car wash and repair shop as a front for a casino, under observation since early October. On December 1, an ad-hoc team, including SWAT officers armed with MP5 submachine guns received a search warrant and

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Armed robbery foiled after pistol jams, security guards and customers disarm robber

security monitor footage showing guards and customers restraining disarmed robber
Crime and Criminals 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

An attempted armed robbery of an ATM cash box at a convenience store was foiled by security guards, and customers who came to their assistance, in Taoyuan City yesterday, November 27. A 38-year-old suspect, Liao Ming-zong, had been planning the robbery for the past two weeks, and had stolen a motorcycle, and purchased a modified pistol for the purpose. Liao and an accomplice named Huang arrived at the store on Wenhua Road in Guishan District at around 2:00pm, but Huang

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Government urged to speed up regulations on laughing gas after recent death caused by recreational use

New Power Party representative Hsu yong-meng speaks to the Economic Committee at the Legislative Yuan November 18, 2019.
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

The Industrial Development Bureau of the Ministry of Economic Affairs was urged to speed up tightening regulations on the sale of nitrous oxide today, after a recent fatality related to its use as a recreational drug brought the issue to public attention. New Power Party legislator Hsu Yung-ming (徐永明), speaking to the Economics Committee of the Legislative Yuan urged the Industrial Development Bureau to not be idle on the task after fatality in Taoyuan City on November 11 was revealed

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