TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A van carrying a Taiwanese driver and seven Filipino tourists crashed into a valley on Provincial Highway 14A near Nantou County's Renai Township on Sunday evening (Dec. 24).
A woman surnamed Chuang (莊) was driving the tourists down Hehuan Mountain when the vehicle went off the road and crashed down a 30-meter slope. All eight people were rescued and sent to the hospital, per PTS.
After receiving notice of the accident, the Nantou County Fire Department dispatched several personnel from nearby townships such as Renai, Guoxing, and Caotun to the scene. First responders deployed ropes to access those trapped in the van.
The Nantou County Police Department Renai Precinct also sent officers to assist with the rescue and to control traffic. A preliminary investigation did not reveal the cause of the accident.
The fire department was able to quickly send three Filipino women and two Filipino men to Taichung Veterans General Hospital Puli Branch for treatment. All of them were conscious, and one was seriously injured.
Due to damage to the van, it took longer to free the driver and two other passengers. The fire department got everyone out by 8:40 p.m.
No one in the vehicle suffered life-threatening injuries. Police said the tourists had chartered a private vehicle and driver for an excursion in Nantou.
