TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A man was arrested and held in custody after he allegedly placed a gas cylinder on Taiwan Railways Administration tracks, causing a train to hit it and delaying hundreds of passengers.
The train was passing through Zhunan Township in northern Miaoli County on May 2 when it struck the gas canister, CNA reported. The accident resulted in delays for seven trains and 840 passengers.
Police arrested the suspect, identified only by his surname Chen (陳), on May 18. He was transferred to the district prosecutor's office to be investigated for offenses against public safety (公共危險罪), and a court ordered him to be held in custody. His motive for the crime is not yet known.
The gas cylinder weighed about 4 kilograms and was moved from a side slope to the middle of the track by Chen in the early morning of May 2, according to investigators. The train hit the gas cylinder, causing a water pipe in the 12th car to rupture and forcing the train to make an emergency stop.
The Railway Police Bureau set up a special team to conduct an investigation and reviewed surveillance camera footage taken in Zhunan Township, Toufen City and Hsinchu City. Chen was seen changing his clothes in an attempt to throw off the police after placing the gas canister on the tracks.
Officers spent several days visiting Hsinchu City, Zhunan Township and other locales to determine Chen's identity and reported him to Taiwan Miaoli District Prosecutors Office. On May 18, Chen was arrested in his home, reported Storm Media. Officers seized Chen’s bicycle, the clothes worn during and after the crime, and other evidence.
Gas cylinder used in the incident. (CNA photo)
Surveillance camera footage of a man surnamed Chen fleeing the scene on a bicycle. (RPB image)
Chen changes his clothes inside a claw machine arcade on May 2. (RPB image)
