RINJ Foundation medical responders in Taiwan train derailment say Taiwan express train with almost 500 aboard derailed in a tunnel on Friday, after a bizarre incident when a truck slid down an embankment into the train as it entered a tunnel north of Hualien killing at least 50 passengers and injuring more than 66. Photo Credit: Source Supplied
The women of the RINJ Foundation extend deepest heart-felt condolences to the families of the injured and the deceased from a train crash in a tunnel in eastern Taiwan, Friday, 2 April 2021. The train was on its way to Taitung, but came off the rails just north of Hualien.
There are reports of a construction truck sliding down an embankment, say medical workers, on-scene, “and the truck was out of control and then somehow hitting the high-speed train causing a derailment inside the tunnel just north of Hualien,” according to busy medical workers.
President Tsai Ing-wen pulls out the stops for a full rescue of all 500 passengers.
Photo credit: Central Taiwan News Agency
Medical responders who have been opening or breaking windows carefully where needed and opening roof hatches trying to get passengers out of the train are all the while working with bandages and splints to assist passengers who have been injured.
“I can’t for the life of me fathom such a horrible disaster and the fluke of a truck rolling down an embankment and hitting the train. But some things happen simply because they measure our love for each other and our stalwartness and our leadership, in helping our brothers and sitters in Taiwan, and that is what we will do with every ounce of our abilities.” said Katie Alsop, a founding Director of the women’s organization.”
A RINJ medical worker via Signal App said that doctors and nurses were prepping patients for transport to hospitals in Hualien County. “Some are very badly injured with estimated life-threatening crush injuries.”
Fire Brigade Handout Photo
“We and our medical workers on scene are grateful that this was not worse and that Tsai Ing-wen is pulling out all the stops to make certain that a complete rescue ensues and that every passenger among the estimated 500 aboard that train, likely heading home for the festive weekend, plus their families, is given the utmost best care.”
The news is very bad
“I have been talking to our medical workers,” said the group’s leader, “via Video and Audio android apps and I sadly must report that the death toll so far according to the Taiwan national fire brigade and on-scene witnesses is a devastating number.
“Not all data is available but there may be more than 125 casualties among which are somewhere near or more than 50 deaths,” she said.
