At least 36 people have been reported dead after a train carrying 350 passengers derailed along Taiwan's east coast. Dozens have been reported injured.
The derailment was caused when a truck from a cliff above fell on to the tracks and the train emerging from a tunnel smashed into it. Passengers had to scale doors and roofs to exit the train that is still partially in the tunnel.
Television footage shows people climbing out of the train. The incident occurred on day one of the Tomb Sweeping Festival. According to authorities, most of the fatalities were reported in the two carriages in the rear. People from the front four carriages have been rescued, says the fire department, while carriages five to eight are hard to access as they have been deformed.
The crash occurred near the Toroko Gorge area. The 408 Taroko Express was headed to Taitung. Rescuers are still working to help people out of carriages.
President Tsai Ing-wen's office, in a statement, said, "The top priority now is to rescue the stranded people." This is the island nation's deadliest rail disaster in decades.
In October 2018, 18 were killed in a train derailment. In 1991, 30 were killed when two trains collided.
