St Kitts and Nevis: Minister of Foreign Affairs and Aviation of St. Kitts and Nevis and Premier of Nevis Mark Brantley paid condolences to the people who died in the train that derailed inside a tunnel in eastern Taiwan.
“Today our prayers are with the government and people of Taiwan. Real friends stand together not only in moments of joy but also in moments of trial and sorrow. To the many families that are now mourning, we in #StKitts #Nevis extend deepest sympathies. ” Brantley tweeted.
According to recent information, more than people died in this horrific accident.
Ministry of foreign affairs Taiwan replied to Brantley, “Thank you,
Mark Brantley, for the sincere message of concern & condolences. The government is working to ensure rescue & recovery efforts continue apace while making certain those affected receive all requisite support.”
Officials stated that the accident could have been caused by a maintenance vehicle sliding down an embankment & striking the train before it entered the tunnel near the coastal city of Hualien.
“There was a construction vehicle that didn’t park properly also slid onto the rail track,” Hualien county police chief Tsai Ding-hsien told reporters.
“This is our initial understanding, and we are clarifying the cause of the incident,” he added.
Local media pictures from the scene showed the back of a yellow flatbed truck on its side next to the train.
President Tsai Ing-wen’s office said she had ordered hospitals to prepare for a mass casualty event.
“The top preference now is to rescue the stranded people,” it said in a statement.
The accident occurred on Taiwan’s eastern railway line around 9:30 am (0130 GMT).
Within 80 to 100, people were evacuated from the first four carriages of the train, while carriages 5 to 8 have “deformed” and are hard to gain access to.
The accident happened at the start of the busy annual Tomb Sweeping festival, a long holiday weekend when Taiwan’s roads and railways are usually packed.
Taiwan Railways Administration published a separate statement saying “many” were without signs of life, citing the local fire department.
Taiwan’s mountainous east coast is a famous tourist destination, and the railway line from Taipei down the east coast is notable for its tunnels & route that hugs the coast just north of Hualien where the crash occurred.
The line connecting Taipei with Hualien was only started in 1979.
Ramanjot Kaur is a dedicated journalist with a Master’s in Journalism and Mass Communication, specializing in economic and political news reporting with incisive analysis and integrity.
