Woman, 21, killed by falling air-con unit while waiting at Taipei bus stop
A video circulating in online forums shows the university student waiting at a bus stop near Xinpu MRT station in Banqiao district when the tragedy struck. Screenshot via The Straits Times/Asia News Network
A 21-year-old undergraduate in Taiwan died after being struck by a 30 kg air-conditioning unit that fell from the 17th floor of a building last week.
The student surnamed Huang from National Chengchi University was waiting at a bus stop near Xinpu MRT Station in Banqiao district when the tragedy struck, reported Taiwan News.
A video circulating in online forums shows the casually-dressed woman, wearing a mask and carrying a backpack, slowly walking towards the bus stop at 1:06 pm. Seconds later, she is struck by a falling air-con unit, which narrowly misses another woman who looks like she is approaching Ms Huang. One other woman notices the falling air-con and steps away just before it lands.
According to local media, Ms Huang suffered a large gash on her head and broken legs after the incident. The woman who cheated death and tended to Ms Huang appeared to be her sister.
Ms Huang received emergency treatment from some bystanders before she was taken to Far Eastern Memorial Hospital. She was declared dead by the doctors.
TVBS reported that the air-con unit fell from the 17th floor because a worker had allegedly fastened it to the window frame without making sure that it was securely installed.
The 31-year-old worker was fined NT$300,000 (P 528,000), said an official in New Taipei’s Labor Standard Inspection Office. His employers were also fined NT$60,000 (P 105,000) for failing to make known the potential danger before the installation.
A spokesman from National Chengchi University said they are saddened by the incident and will offer help to the victim’s family, reported Yahoo! News.
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