TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Parties found guilty of negligence causing Taiwan’s deadliest train crash in more than 70 years have been ordered to pay compensation of over NT$23 million (US$720,000) to victims and their families.

The train crash on the Taroko Express killed 49 people and injured more than 200 when the service derailed in April 2021. The train came off the tracks after hitting a truck operated by contractor Lee Yi-hsiang (李義祥).  

Hualien District Court said on Wednesday (Aug. 21) that Lee and two companies he was associated with are liable for 60% of the compensation payments owed to families of the deceased, per CNA. The total value of the compensation ordered by the court is NT$23,266,692, which is subject to appeal.

The remaining 40% of compensation owed to victims and their families is the responsibility of the Taiwan Railways Corporation, the court said. The court found the corporation is responsible for the compensation payments because it allowed Li and his company to carry out the work.

The Taiwan Railways Corporation (then the Taiwan Railways Administration) offered payments of NT$15.7 million to the families of each of the people who died in the crash. Following the offer, it filed the civil lawsuit against Lee and his company, which Hualien District Court ruled on Monday.

Lee was found guilty of negligence in causing the accident in November 2022, and was sentenced to over seven years in prison. He was working as a contractor for the Taiwan Railways Administration when his truck fell down a bank onto the railway track, after which he did not take action to prevent the crash.