Transport Minister Lin Chia-lung is stepping down to take responsibility for a train derailment that killed 49 people and injured more than 200 others on April 2. That’s according to a Central News Agency report.
Initial reports put the death toll at 50, but officials lowered it to 49 after DNA testing. It was the worst train crash in Taiwan in 70 years.
While the Cabinet has yet to approve Lin’s resignation, CNA says he is determined to step down and has already begun packing up his things.
Lin has ordered the creation of a working group to protect the rights of the victims and provide for their needs. He has also ordered the Taiwan Railways Administration to ensure transport safety, and implement safety measures at construction sites near tracks.
A preliminary study shows that the train in question collided with a maintenance truck that had rolled down a slope from a construction site onto the tracks.