The bus overturned in Alishan highway, Central Taiwan. (Photo credit: CNA)
TAIPEI: Sixteen people were injured, where four Malaysian tourists in Taiwan were seriously injured yesterday when a tour bus carrying travelers from Singapore and Malaysia overturned after hitting a rock wall along the scenic Alishan Highway in Central Taiwan on Monday, The China Post reported.
Police and fire fighters pulled victims out of the wreckage, with four people sustaining fractures and requiring surgery. Twelve escaped with minor injuries. According to the Chiayi County Fire Bureau, the accident occurred at the 39.5-km mark of the Provincial Highway No. 18 at 9:57 a.m.
Driver Wang Chih-chieh said the bus lost control after suffering a brake failure on a downhill section of the highway. It swerved right toward the road’s cliff edge before veering back left and slamming into the mountain.
Wang said the brakes failed when he was trying to slow down to let a car pass from behind.
“I thought of the Qalang Smangus accident that happened yesterday and immediately pulled the handbrake,” he said.
While trying to keep control of the slow-moving bus, Wang shouted, “Brakes broken! Everyone hold on!”
He said he was relieved when the bus came to a stop after running up against the rock wall. “I can’t imagine if it went over the cliff,” he said.
A rescue worker helps a passenger who was pinned under the seats in a bus accident on the Alishan Highway, yesterday. The passenger was taken to hospital after being retrieved. Four passengers required surgery after sustaining fractures in the crash, while 12 received minor injuries. (Photo credit: CNA)
Other motorists on the road stopped to help the injured passengers.
A Malaysian tourist surnamed Wu said that she was touched after seeing so many people come to lend a hand.
“Thanks to the Taiwanese helpers,” she said.
Wu and two other passengers were driven to a local hospital by a Taiwanese couple who were on their way to work when the accident occurred.
Wu explained that all the passengers were from three family tour groups from Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines on an eight-day trip in Taiwan. They had just finished their tour of Alishan and were traveling north toward Taichung.
According to the driver, the bus was a 2001 vehicle and has received routine maintenance checks after every 15,000 kilometers. The driver said that the bus had just completed its most recent maintenance in September, and had new brakes installed in November.
“I don’t understand why the brakes didn’t work at that time,” Wang said. “It will need more investigation to get to the bottom of this.”
Fire bureau officials reported that all onboard, except the driver, were sent to nearby hospitals.