Taiwan Train Derailment Kills 34

[Axtremus]

Taiwan: At least 34 killed after train derails inside tunnel
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-56612248

Probably the most fatal in Taiwan history.

[George K]

Terrible.

smashed windows to flee.

All public (heavy) rail transportation in the US has windows which are removable by the passenger.

[Doctor Phibes]

Oh, that's awful. Train crashes always look so dreadful.

[George K]

Found a pic from my travel. Here's a close-up of the break-away window on an Amtrak Superliner:

Pull the red handle, and the entire gasket which holds the window in place peels away, releasing the window.

Also, there's no way you could break that window to escape. They are hardened against looters, vandals, and other miscreants.

[Copper]

In high school it was fun to open those on bus windows. These were public transportation busses, but were only ridden by high school students.

You could flap the windows like a bird's wings.

Once you got several windows flapping the bus was really a sight, it was funny.

Of course, the driver hated it.

One day the driver pulled the bus into a police station with all the windows flapping, the passengers disappeared very quickly.

[Doctor Phibes]

I seem to remember trains in the UK having emergency hammers that could be used to break the windows.

[Copper]

@doctor-phibes said in Taiwan Train Derailment Kills 34:

I seem to remember trains in the UK having emergency hammers that could be used to break the windows.

I owned an airplane that came with an emergency hammer. I had no faith that it would break the plexiglass, it was just too light. But I never tested it.

[Doctor Phibes]

I think the hammers are essentially a point, like a stilletto, so they break the toughened glass.

I once had to kick my car windshield out after rolling the car, and ending up in the middle of the road, with the car on its side. It popped out surprisingly easily, although I suspect (hope!) that railway carriage windows are a little stronger.

[taiwan_girl]

They arrested the driver of the truck that he allowed to slip down the hill to the railroad tracks.

Construction area safety is not very good in Taiwan. Better than in some places, but not as good as in others.

[George K]

@taiwan_girl said in Taiwan Train Derailment Kills 34:

They arrested the driver

Wasn't the accident the result of his failure to properly engage the parking/emergency brake?

[taiwan_girl]

@george-k said in Taiwan Train Derailment Kills 34:

@taiwan_girl said in Taiwan Train Derailment Kills 34:

They arrested the driver

Wasn't the accident the result of his failure to properly engage the parking/emergency brake?

Yes. That is what they are saying.