Plane carrying 58 crashes in Taiwan river, injuries and deaths reported, rescue ongoing

Taiwan's Central News Agency released a picture of the plane that crashed into a river in New Taipei City. --PHOTO: New Taipei City Fire Department


Taiwan's Central News Agency released a picture of the plane that crashed into a river in New Taipei City. –PHOTO: New Taipei City Fire Department

A TransAsia Airways flight carrying more than 50 people crashed in Taiwan's Keelung River after takeoff from Taipei's Songshan Airport Wednesday morning.

Reuters quotes local news reports saying at least 10 people were injured in the twin-engine turboprop's crash.

No cause for the crash is reported at this time.

Below, a live television news feed from Taiwan's UDN TV.

Taiwanese news outlet Straits Times reports:

The ATR-72 turboprop aircraft with 58 onboard was flying from Taipei to the offshore island of Kinmen when it crashed into the Keelung River after apparently ramming into a highway viaduct, Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA) said. Taiwan's United Daily News said about 10 people have been sent to hospital, and more than 40 are still awaiting rescue.

The New Taipei City Fire Department has despatched five rescue teams, equipped with speed boats, to the accident site near the Nanyang Bridge in Xizhi district, CNA said.

Mr Wang Hsing-chung, an Aviation Safety Council spokesman, was cited as saying investigators were heading for the site to find out the reason for the crash.

TransAsia, a privately-owned airline, had suffered a serious crash last July, when flight GE222 crashed near the airport at Magong on the Penghu island chain during a rainstorm, killing 48 people and injuring 10 others. That aircraft was also an ATR-72.

Below, dashcam video that seems to confirm details in early reports about the location and time of the incident.

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TransAsia crash. Photo: @Missxoxo168.


TransAsia crash. Photo: @Missxoxo168.