A tragic incident occurred yesterday at the Yilan Green Expo, resulting in the death of a man and the serious injury of his wife. The couple was crushed when a trackless tourist train overturned at the park.
The 78-year-old man, surnamed Yu, was pronounced dead after showing no vital signs at the scene. His wife, surnamed Lu, suffered a broken arm and was still undergoing treatment by press time.
The 45-year-old driver, surnamed Chen, who holds a truck driving license, was operating the train at about 1:30 p.m. He explained that he was returning the empty electric train to the park’s entrance for a battery recharge. Upon realizing the brakes were malfunctioning, he sounded the bell to warn pedestrians. However, he lost control of the train as he tried to avoid hitting them, causing the vehicle to overturn.
According to the victims’ family, the train crashed directly into the couple without attempting to stop. They said they couldn’t pull their parents away in time when the couple failed to avoid the train.
The Yilan County Agriculture Department is investigating the cause of the Yilan Green Expo accident, with department head Lee Hsin-tai stating that the park’s train service would be suspended for safety checks. The Yilan County Government also confirmed that the expo park would be closed today for thorough inspections.
The Yilan Green Expo, which began offering a paid park train service this year, operates two trains—one red and one blue. Each train can carry up to 40 passengers and offers a 10-minute round trip for NT$50. The service has been available since the expo opened a week ago, with daily checks before and after operation.
Lee noted that no irregularities were found during the daily inspections, and the trains were maintained according to regulations. Authorities continue to investigate the incident and are taking all necessary precautions to ensure safety.
The Yilan Green Expo accident has raised concerns over the safety of the park’s tourist train service, prompting authorities to prioritize thorough investigations and maintenance checks.
