Taichung, May 10 (CNA) The operator of a construction site in Taichung, where a crane boom fell onto a nearby MRT track, was fined NT$1.11 million (US$36,170) for the accident that left one passenger dead and 10 others injured on Wednesday, according to authorities.
The Ministry of Labor and the Taichung City government imposed a fine of NT$300,000 (US$9,774) and NT$810,000, respectively, on Highwealth Construction, which is responsible for the construction project near Feng-le Park Station on the Green Line.
Meanwhile, prosecutors said they have directed the police to collect evidence and looked into whether it was a case that involves death by negligence.
The city government said all work at the company's nine construction sites in Taichung was ordered suspended before safety checks can be conducted by a third-party.
The accident close to the intersection of Wenxin Rd. and Wenxin S. 5th Rd. in Taichung's Nantun District occurred at around 12:29 p.m. as a tower crane was being removed from the 31st floor of a building under construction by Highwealth, according to the city government.
During the removal, the cable securing the boom apparently broke, causing it to fall and hit an archway on the first floor of the building and a crane truck parked on the roadside, before toppling over and breaking the MRT's noise barrier, it said.
However, at that point the boom had not fallen directly onto the track so the driverless train drove directly into it, pushing it for some distance before coming to a stop, the city government added.
A 52-year-old assistant law professor at Providence University surnamed Lin (林), was found without vital signs on the tracks outside the train after the accident. She was pronounced dead later.
Of the 10 injured passengers who were rushed to local hospitals, nine were discharged, the city government said.
While the reason for the accident is still being investigated, Highwealth spokesman Liao Chao-hsiung (廖昭雄) told media that the 40-meter-long, 3.3-metric ton-heavy metal fell because the cable that held it broke.
According to the Labor Ministry, Chyi-Yuh Construction, a Highwealth Construction subsidiary that operates the project, has reported seven "major construction site safety incidents" over the past five years.
Meanwhile, Taichung MRT said it is currently offering a partial service on the Green Line between Beitun Main Station and Taichung City Hall Station, and between Jiuzhangli Station and HSR Taichung Station.
The two-car train damaged in the accident, which cost NT$200 million, will be sent to the manufacturer to determine whether it can be repaired or needs to be replaced as part of the MRT's 18-train fleet, it said.
