The driver of the truck that was on the track in the deadly train disaster in Taiwan apologized on Sunday. He also said he will cooperate with authorities in the investigation of the train accident.
“I am very sorry and would like to apologize sincerely,” said the emotional Lee Yi-hsiang to national television cameras.
The train with 492 passengers on board ran into a truck north of Hualien just before a tunnel on Friday and derailed in the tunnel. The disaster killed 51 people and injured more than 200 people.
The Taiwanese rail authority also released the names of 47 victims on Saturday, including three foreigners. Children are also among the victims. The other bodies have yet to be identified.
The truck was parked on a construction site just above the railway line. The truck’s handbrake may not have been properly applied, causing the vehicle to land on the track. It is investigated whether the driver had not properly applied the parking brake or whether the brake was mechanically damaged.
Driver out on bail
49-year-old Lee is an employee of the National Railways and regularly inspected Taiwan’s mountainous Eastern Railway due to potential landslides and other risks. He was questioned last weekend and was released on bail pending further investigation.
Taiwanese transport minister Lin Chia-lung offered his resignation on Sunday. That request has not been granted by the government, which wants Lin to stay on until the results of the investigation into the train disaster are known.
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