TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan High-Speed Rail Corporation (THSRC) on Monday (May 13) refuted social media posts from China claiming that people using umbrellas on rail platforms could be electrocuted or “sucked” into the overhead wires. 

THSRC clarified the overhead wires operate at 25 kV at 60 Hz, which is the standard overhead power supply and normal grid power frequency, reported Taiwan FactCheck Center. The company said passengers can stand on the platform with an umbrella behind the yellow warning line without risk of electric shock. 

There has been a resurgence of videos online about the danger of using an umbrella on high-speed rail platforms, suggesting that doing so during rainy weather could result in electric shock or being “sucked” into high-voltage wires. THSRC said the video first appeared on a Chinese social media platform in 2016 despite debunking and clarifications.

Taiwan FactCheck Center said the video was filmed at a high-speed rail station in China and had simplified Chinese. 

THSRC acknowledged the risk of electric shock if objects are held too close to the wires over the platform, and said to refrain from bringing long objects within a two-meter radius of the wires.

The FactCheck Center said the likelihood of electric shock depends on distance, and the closer one is to the source, the higher the risk of electric shock.