TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As strong winds sweep through Taiwan, Taichung on Tuesday (Jan. 24) reported incidents of scaffolding collapsing and a downed tree, the latter injuring three people.
ETToday reported that a six-story-tall scaffolding at a construction site in Nantun District began leaning around noon. After receiving a report, the Dadun Police Station dispatched officers to conduct traffic control in the area, closing the section of the street entirely.
After leaning for 50 minutes, the scaffolding eventually collapsed due to strong winds. While it almost hit a neighboring building, no one was injured thanks to quick action by the police.
Scaffolding leaned for nearly an hour before finally collapsing. (Facebook, Reporter Tip Network photo)
Nonetheless, remnants of the scaffolding were reportedly still hanging in the air after the collapse. The Dadun Police Station chief was cited as saying there was no contact information at the construction site for authorities to reach the project’s management team. Therefore, the street remained closed while four officers were left to monitor the situation.
UDN reported that the Taichung City Urban Development Bureau later sent machinery to remove the parts of scaffolding that posed a danger to the public. The bureau was cited as saying it will issue relevant penalties and contact the property’s owner to urge improvement.
An excavator is dispatched to clean up the collapsed scaffolding. (CNA photo)
Following the incident, a tree in Beitun District fell at around 2 p.m. Taichung Fire Bureau dispatched two teams consisting of two fire trucks, two ambulances, and 11 staff firefighters to the scene, according to UDN.
The Taichung Fire Bureau told Taiwan News that two scooters had been crushed under the tree while three people were injured. When the firefighters arrived, two of the injured had freed themselves from the tree while one was still trapped.
All three suffered light injuries and were sent to nearby hospitals for treatment.The cause of the incident remains to be determined, though authorities suspect strong winds may have contributed to it.
(Taichung City Fire Bureau photo)
