Speeding the cause of deadly derailment: Executive Yuan (update)

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/10/22
By: Ku Chuan, Lee Hsin-Yin 

Taipei, Oct. 22 (CNA) Speeding was the main reason behind the deadly derailment of a Puyama express train in northeastern Taiwan on Sunday that has left 18 people dead, according to the head of the Executive Yuan task force investigating the cause of the accident.

Confirming widespread suspicions that the train was going too fast at the time of the accident, Minister without Portfolio Wu Tze-cheng (吳澤成) said the train was traveling at 140 kilometers per hour when the train entered a curve and derailed in Yilan County.

The speed limit for that curved area, which has a radius of 300 meters, is 75 kph, Wu said, but he was unable to explain why the train was operating at such a high speed.

Suspecting that the driver may have been professionally negligent, prosecutors on Monday night filed a motion with the Yilan District Court to detain him for further questioning.    [FULL  STORY]