TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) and Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) rushed to three hospitals on Monday evening to comfort victims and family members involved in a severe car crash in a school zone in New Taipei’s Sanxia District.

A 78-year-old man surnamed Yu (余) drove his car into a crowd of mostly students, leaving three dead and 12 injured, with Yu in a coma. Lai instructed hospitals treating the victims to provide the best possible care, per CNA.

New Taipei City Tucheng Hospital Vice Superintendent Yu Ming-chin (游明晉) told media that Lai hoped the victims would receive good care and that family members would be comforted and given emotional support.

Yu said five injured school children were sent to his hospital, with three having serious intracranial hemorrhage and fractures requiring stay in the intensive care unit. While their vital signs stabilized, they will need more observation and treatment over the next two to three days.

As for the two other victims being treated at the hospital, one had minor injuries such as a broken hand and was awaiting surgery, while the other had already been discharged from the hospital.

Later, Cho visited Far Eastern Memorial Hospital in Banqiao with New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜). 

Cho said he was in a meeting with President Lai in the afternoon when they heard the news about the accident. The meeting was quickly ended, allowing them to visit the hospitals treating the injured in the evening.

The premier said the cause of the accident must be investigated as quickly as possible so that the family members can gain peace of mind. Cho called upon educational and medical institutions to provide follow-up psychological support to the students and the school's teachers, helping them return to a normal life as soon as possible.