Minister of Transportation and Communications Mao Chi-kuo said Monday that the investigation report on a deadly coach accident that left 13 dead and 10 injured in northern Taiwan's Hsinchu County will be submitted in two weeks.
The accident occurred Sunday on County Road No. 60 in Jianshih Township, which is administrated by the local government, Mao said during a legislative session.
The Directorate General of Highways has set regulations on medium- or large-sized tour buses driving on provincial highways in mountainous areas, Mao noted.
The ministry will help local governments fully review county roads in mountainous areas across Taiwan to ensure safety, the minister said.
The accident, which occurred Sunday afternoon, involved a bus that fell about 300 meters into a ravine after it reportedly backed off the road leading to Smangus Village. The bus was carrying a driver and 22 tourists, who mostly came from Taishan District in New Taipei.
Family members of the deceased planned to hold a ritual for their late relatives at the scene of the accident on Dec. 13, according to the Taishan District Office.
A Christian church in the Atayal aboriginal village has already performed a ritual for the dead at the crash site.
Local residents, including aborigines from Smangus that helped with the rescue mission, prayed and sang a hymn at the occasion.
According to Hsinchu County Police Bureau's Hengshan branch, the accident spot is in a steep location and the wreckage of the coach is scattered over a large area.
The Hsinchu District Prosecutors Office sent three prosecutors to interview injured passengers and others who have knowledge of the accident, said Chen Chia-hsiu, a prosecutor from the office.
The dead bodies have undergone post-mortem examinations, she said.
She added that prosecutors will determine the cause of the accident after reviewing testimonies and evidence, including video footage from a vehicle's on-board camera that showed the bus going backwards and falling into the valley.
The prosecutors and the police said that cause of the accident can only be completely verified when the wreckage has been removed from the ravine.
Tuesday 11 December 2012
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national-news/2012/12/11/363691/Report-on.htm
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