Suspected skull of the deceased found in the carriage of Taiwan Railways, resulting in 49 deaths 2 years after the accident
On April 2, 2021, the Taiwan Railways 408 train "Taroko" collided with an engineering vehicle that slipped off the track due to careless operation while passing through the north entrance of the Hualien Qingshui Tunnel, resulting in 49 deaths and over 200 minor injuries.
On August 31st, more than two years later, the carriage of the "Taroko" accident discovered the skull of a suspected victim, causing a public uproar on the island. On September 1st, Zheng Wencan, the relevant person in charge of Taiwan's administrative agencies, stated that this should not have happened, and that the Taiwan Transportation Bureau and the Transportation Safety Association should conduct more thorough investigations.
The 7th and 8th carriages of the Taiwan Railways 408 train "Taroko" with the most severe damage were stored at Taoyuan Fugang Machinery Factory. Due to the discovery of a suspected skull inside the carriage on August 31st, Taiwan police and Taiwan Railways personnel gathered at the Fukuoka Aircraft Works on September 1st to restart the search. Lawyer Tu Guanyu appointed by the family group "Tears of Taroko" for the victims stated that as of 11am, the first half of the 8th carriage had been searched. Preliminary understanding, we found 4 suspected skulls today.
The Taiwan prosecutor's office stated that this morning, two carriages of the "Taroko" accident were inspected, and after detailed investigation and evidence search, a total of 18 suspected fragments, 2 teeth, and 94 other items were found. Suspected remains, fragments, and teeth have been sent to the forensic research institute for DNA identification. As for the 94 other items that have been handed over to the Railway Administration, please actively carry out the collection process as soon as possible.
