Taiwan president, vice president, premier to each donate 1 month's salary to disaster relief fund

台灣總統，副總統，行政院長分別捐款1個月的薪水給救災基金

Ministry of Health and Welfare disaster relief fund will go towards medical treatment, financial support for train crash victims


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Presidential Spokesperson Xavier Chang (張惇涵) said Monday (April 5) that President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Vice President Lai Ching-te (賴清德), and Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) will each donate one month’s income to the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s (MOHW) special disaster relief fund to assist victims of Friday’s tragic train accident.

Chang said that the MOHW’s special disaster relief fund will go towards follow-up medical treatment, rehabilitation, and financial support for the victims and their families and others affected by the train crash, CNA reported.

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Spokeswoman Yen Juo-fang (顏若芳) stated that the party will also donate NT$1 million (US$35,051) to the relief fund.

On the first day of the Tomb Sweeping holiday, a reported 350 passengers were aboard a Taroko Express train that departed from Shulin, New Taipei City, with Taitung as its destination. At 9:28 a.m, as the train was about to enter the Daqingshui tunnel in Xiulin, Hualien County, a construction vehicle parked on a slope above the track rolled down just in time to be hit by the speeding vehicle, according to a preliminary investigation.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said that as of noon on Sunday (April 4), it had received over 745 messages conveying "concern and condolences" from 92 international organizations and countries, including all 15 of Taiwan's diplomatic allies.