Middle-aged man crushed by oncoming train in southern Taiwan

南臺灣中年男子被迎面而來的火車撞死

The man was struck by one train and pushed into the path of the second


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – On the evening of Jan. 6 in Pingtung County, a middle aged man crossing the train tracks was struck and killed.

The accident occurred southern Taiwan, in eastern Pingtung County at 6:25 p.m. near Xishi Station(西勢站).

According to the report from CNA, the man was crossing the tracks and was struck by a TRA Juguang (莒光) No.734 train. The force of the strike threw the man into the air, and into the path of an oncoming No. 513 train headed the opposite direction.

The man likely misjudged his timing, and his distance from the oncoming trains.

Without time for the train to slowdown, the man was instantly killed, being run over by the most of the length of the 513 train.

Both lines were immediately suspended following the incident, affecting the journeys of an estimated 2,770 passengers waiting at stations or in transit, reports CNA.

After an urgent assessment of the accident scene, and a hasty clean-up, both lines resumed operation at 7:14 p.m.

The identity of the deceased has not yet been released to the media.

This is the second accident resulting in death on TRA trains tracks in 2018. On the morning of Jan. 1, a person fell off of the platform at Hsinchu Station in northern Taiwan and was also struck by an oncoming train.