“I am deeply sorry and wish to express my sincerest apologies,” said the truck driver, Lee Yi-hsiang, on Sunday. “I will cooperate with the investigation of the police and prosecutors to take appropriate responsibility.”
Lee received bail on Saturday, but the Hualien District Court later revoked his bail, citing the possibility that he might try to flee, conspire with others or destroy evidence, the Taiwanese government’s Central News Agency (CNA) said.
According to the CNA report, investigators are investigating whether the crane truck’s brake has not been properly applied – whether as a result of mechanical failure or human negligence.
CEOC revised the death toll on Monday from 51 to 50. The driver is among the dead, according to the Taiwan fire department.
According to CEOC, 163 wounded have already been discharged and 37 are still being treated.
Government response
The train left the tracks in a tunnel north of Hualien, causing several carriages to hit the tunnel wall, and it occurred when a long weekend started for the Tomb Sweeping Day national holiday.
The crash site is located east of the picturesque Taroko National Park, a popular tourist destination on the island’s mountainous east coast.
Taiwanese transport minister Lin Chia-lung offered his resignation in a phone call on Sunday with Taiwanese Prime Minister Su Tseng-chang, saying he wanted to resign and take responsibility for the accident, the CNA said.
Cabinet spokesman Lo Ping-cheng told reporters that the Taiwanese Prime Minister praised Lin for showing responsibility, but declined to discuss the resignation.
The government has already established a compensation plan for each passenger, which will see NT $ 5.3 million ($ 185,500) provided to families with each fatality. The seriously injured will each receive $ 91,000 and other injured passengers will receive $ 14,000, officials said.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said on Friday that her government “will continue to do everything we can to ensure [passenger] security after this painful incident. “
CNN’s Jessie Yeung, Joyce Huang, Rob Pichet, Reuters, Chandler Thornton, Zamira Rahim and journalist Andy Lee in Taipei contributed to the report.