An maintenance worker whose runaway truck has fueled Taiwan’s worst rail disaster in recent decades apologized on Sunday when investigators said the train driver had little time to respond to the collision.
At least 50 people were killed and more than 200 injured in Friday’s crash, which swept a packed train of eight carriages to the sides of a narrow tunnel near the eastern city of Hualien.
Investigators say the Taroko Express hit a truck on the line moments before it entered the tunnel. The vehicle slid down a steep embankment and prosecutors are investigating whether the driver did not tighten the parking brake, or that it had a mechanical fault.
Driver Lee Yi-hsiang read out an emotional statement on Sunday.
“I am deeply sorry and want to express my sincere apologies,” he said, his voice cracking with emotion. “I will cooperate with the investigation by police and prosecutors to accept the responsibility I have to accept.”
Lee, 49, was part of a team that regularly surveyed Taiwan’s mountainous eastern railroad for landslides and other hazards. He was questioned by prosecutors over the weekend and released on bail by bail pending further investigations.
Hong Young, chairman of the Taiwan Transport Safety Board, told AFP that investigators had combed through the train’s recording devices and CCTV footage of the front car.
“According to the testimonies of some passengers, they heard the horn sound and it is believed that the train driver noticed an object of obstruction on the track,” he said.
But the train driver – who was among those killed – would have struggled to stop a collision.
“It is believed that the train driver had a maximum of ten seconds to respond and that there was not enough distance to have emergency braking,” he added.
Some survivors reported that it appeared that the train did not slow down before the truck was hit. But Hong said others noticed violent vibration before the collision, indicating that the train driver pulled the emergency stop moments before the impact.
While questions arose about how crowded the train was and why there were no fences on the part of the track, Transport Minister Lin Chia-lung offered his resignation on Sunday. But it was not accepted by the government, which said he should stay until the outcome of the investigation is known.
The accident plunged Taiwan into mourning. Some survivors lost entire families and the youngest victim was just four. It was also confirmed that a French citizen and two Americans had been killed.