Train Explosion Injures 21 in Taiwan, Police Hunt Suspect

By Jack Phillips
July 7, 2016 Last Updated: July 7, 2016
A train explosion injured 21 people in Taipei, Taiwan (Google Maps)

At least 21 people were injured in a metro train explosion in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, and police are hunting for a suspect, according to officials on Thursday.

Three explosions were heard inside the train’s cabin, which then erupted into flames, fire officials said in a statement.

Wu Junhong, chief of Taipei City Fire Department, said that “there was an explosion” in the sixth train car. When the fire department arrived, the fire was out and “only smoke.” Two people were seriously injured, he said.

Police are now investigating the matter, Wu said.

He said passengers told them that the blast took place when the train was heading to the station. Passengers put out the fire themselves using a train fire extinguisher.

Three 8-inch-long black explosives were found on a train seat. It was traveling from Hsinchu to Keelung, police told the Straits Times.

The Taipei city government also issued a statement, saying that officials Xu Limin and Huang Qinggao, the respective chief and deputy chief of Social Welfare Department of the Taipei city government went to the hospital to visit the injured passengers.

The Taiwan Railway Administration said the train was at Songshan Railway Station when it exploded at around 10 p.m. local time, reported the Channel News Agency.

Photos uploaded to social media show the aftermath of the explosion.

Taipei’s Fire Department got the message at around 10 p.m. and sent more than 10 ambulances and 10 fire engines, reported Focus Taiwan.