Prosecutors in Taiwan seek arrest in fatal train crash

HUALIEN COUNTY, Taiwan — Prosecutors in Taiwan on Saturday sought an arrest warrant for the owner of an unmanned truck that rolled onto a train track and caused the country’s worst rail disaster in decades, killing 50 people and injuring 178.

The train was carrying 494 people at the start of a long weekend on Friday when it smashed into the construction truck, the Taiwan Railways Administration said. The truck’s emergency brake was not properly engaged, according to the government’s disaster relief center.

The crash occurred just before the train entered a tunnel, and many passengers were crushed inside the mangled train carriages. With much of the train stuck inside the tunnel, some survivors were forced to climb out of windows and walk along the train’s roof to safety.

Authorities initially reported 51 deaths but revised the count down by one on Saturday. Among those killed was a U.S. citizen. Another U.S. citizen who was on the train was reported missing, according to a statement by Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry.

Yu Hsiu-duan, chief prosecutor in eastern Hualien County where the train derailed, said they were seeking an arrest warrant for the truck’s owner, who was questioned along with several others. She didn’t offer details citing an ongoing investigation.

The Hualien district court allowed the truck owner to post bail of $17,516 but he must stay in the county and avoid contact with any witnesses, Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported.

President Tsai Ing-wen visited hospitals near the crash instead of the site itself so as not to interfere with rescue work, her spokesperson said.