2016 Taoyuan bus fire

2016 Taoyuan bus fire
Taoyuan
2016 Taoyuan bus fire (Taiwan)
Location of Taoyuan
Time 12:57 (UTC+8)
Date 19 July 2016 (2016-07-19)
Location Taoyuan, Taiwan
Coordinates 25°N 121°W / 25°N 121°W / 25; -121
Outcome All 26 people onboard were killed
Deaths 26
Property damage Bus destroyed

The 2016 Taoyuan bus fire occurred on the ROC National Road, in the 2nd Taoyuan City Great Park section. The bus that was involved was carrying Chinese tourists. At 12:57 on July 19, 2016, on State Road at the 2nd West Park section of the convoy of red coral tour, a bus with the license plate number 197-EE collided with a guardrail, and a fire started and killed all 26 people on board the bus. This was the most serious bus accident in Taiwan that occurred in 2010. An investigation found out that the bus driver had purposefully crashed after dousing the bus with gasoline and lighting it on fire.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]

Details

During a tour at 12:57, the bus was passing through the State Road II, 4.2 km to the west of the large garden sections of the city. Here a fire was seen on the front of the vehicle. The "rickety" bus was located on the inside lane of the road for quite some time, or 2.8 to 2.9 kilometers. The bus then suddenly lost control, and the whole vehicle hit a roadside fence. Policemen with hand-held extinguishers started smashing windows, trying to rescue youths trapped in the burning vehicle. The fire lasted for about half an hour. Heavy smoke quickly filled the confined space of the vehicle, causing everyone located inside the vehicle, including Su Mingcheng, a Taiwanese tour bus driver, tour guide Zheng Kun Wen, as well as 24 Chinese mainland membership visitors to be burnt to death on the spot, even though thy had a chance to escape. Hot smoke and other toxic gases burnt and choked people to death, and multiple burnt corpses were stacked on top of each other five rows after the escape door. The door was locked and passengers did not know how to operate the built-in lock. The door was severing barrier grip, unable to open. The vehicle was burned, and the fire charred corpses, created charcoal, and burnt bodies to a skeleton.[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]

The 37 operating buses had previously had smoke and fire problems, although this is only the second vehicle to be completely destroyed in an accident.[20]

Aftermath

Investigation

Initial investigations revealed that the escape door lock had a built-in lock, so you could not push open the door to escape. This is a major reason for fatal accidents in Taiwan. Investigator's initial impression of the cause of the fire was a the wire from a short circuit and friction. Further the vehicles transformer voltage, originally 24 volts, had an unauthorized boost to 110 volts. The transformer powered the water dispenser, refrigerator, sockets, etc. Whether or not the fire was due to voltage instability caused by a short circuit was still to be investigated.

Because of the tour company's low-fare low-cost group, and more shopping to fill commission expenses and control costs, they could not afford to meet the safety standards.

On July 29, the driver remained in the Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office and test results showed that driver had before suspected of drunk driving. It ccould not be ruled out of the possibility of self-immolation. The possibility emerged of a murder-suicide by arson.

In addition, Su Mingcheng also broke the news on October 11, 2013 when guiding a group of mainland tourists. During the tour, in the Hualien City a sexual assault on a female sexual occurred, and the Hualien District Court of First Instance sentenced him to 5 years in prison. He appealed and a second trial occurred on June 24, 2016.

September 10, the Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office concluded its investigation, and found Su Mingcheng guilty of premeditated arson and self-immolation. His family had long been aware of his want to commit suicide.

Passengers

Two crew were killed including a tour guide and the driver, who deliberately caused the incidents. The rest of the deceased were mainland Chinese tourists.

Deaths by nationality
Country Number
 Taiwan 2
 China 24
Total 26

See also

References

  1. ↑ "六年來最慘！26命逃不了 車門邊一隻來不及長大的小手". 東森新聞. 2016-07-19. Retrieved 2016-07-19.
  2. ↑ 邱奕統、鄭淑婷 (2016-07-19). "國道二號遊覽車火燒車 全車26人均成焦屍". 自由時報. Retrieved 2016-07-19.
  3. ↑ "【史上最慘】火燒遊覽車26人罹難　不排除車內飲水機起火". 蘋果日報. 2016-07-19. Retrieved 2016-07-19.
  4. ↑ "Chinese tourists die in Taiwan bus fire - BBC News". Retrieved 2016-07-19.
  5. ↑ Tapei, Associated Press in (2016-07-19). "Taiwan tourist bus crash: 26 reported dead after vehicle catches fire". the Guardian. Retrieved 2016-07-19.
  6. ↑ Press, Associated (2016-07-19). "Taiwan Tour-Bus Fire Kills 26". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2016-07-19.
  7. ↑ "台湾で観光バス事故 中国人客ら２６人全員死亡". NHK. Retrieved 2016-07-19.（原始連結 已被移除）
  8. ↑ "台湾の高速で観光バス炎上、中国人ら２６人死亡". Retrieved 2016-07-19.
  9. ↑ McKirdy, Euan (2016-07-19). "Tourists die in Taiwan tour bus blaze". CNN. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
  10. ↑ Evans, Sophie (2016-07-19). "Taiwan bus fire: 'At least 26 tourists dead' after coach smashes into airport guardrail and explodes into flames". mirror.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
  11. ↑ CNN, Euan McKirdy. "Taiwan: Suicidal bus driver crashed, killed 26". Retrieved 12 September 2016.
  12. ↑ "台湾游览车爆燃26死 24人来自辽宁陆客团(图)". 鳳凰網. 2016-07-19. Retrieved 2016-07-19.
  13. ↑ "前後門都打不開！26死焦屍集中五排座位後 檢：無法破窗". 東森新聞雲. 2016-07-19.
  14. ↑ "【不斷更新】遊覽車國道自撞 乘客來不及逃慘釀26死". 東森新聞. 2016-07-19. Retrieved 2016-07-19.
  15. ↑ "警民持「滅火器」猛砸遊覽車窗救不回　26人仍全數罹難" (in Chinese). 東森新聞雲. 2016-07-19. Retrieved 2016-07-19.
  16. ↑ "遼寧陸客團遊覽車搭機途中「火燒車」 司機乘客罹難26死". 東森新聞雲. 2016-07-19. Retrieved 2016-07-19.
  17. ↑ "國道二號陸客團遊覽車火燒車26人罹難名單". 2016-07-19.
  18. ↑ "火燒車卻無人逃出？ 遊覽車業者：有8個逃生口". 自由時報. 2016-07-19.
  19. ↑ "中客24人燒死 同型車駕駛：乘客沒學開逃生門". 自由時報. 2016-07-19. Retrieved 2016-07-19.
  20. ↑ "遊覽車烈火焚盡皮肉　殘存骨骸焦黑如炭". TVBS新聞. 2016-07-19.
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