Overview:
At least three people were killed and several others injured in a violent attack at Taipei metro stations on Saturday after a knife-wielding suspect threw smoke devices and stabbed commuters, Taiwanese authorities said. The suspect later died after falling from a building during a police chase, prompting heightened security across the island.
Saturday 20 December
In short:
(ABC-Australia) A man has killed three people after throwing smoke bombs into Taipei’s metro station and stabbing people nearby.
Authorities say the suspect is also dead after falling from a building during a police chase.
At least five other people were injured in the attack.
A knife-wielding attacker has killed at least three people at metro stations in Taipei, with authorities saying the suspect also died after trying to flee police.
Taiwan’s Premier Cho Jung-tai said the attacks at Taipei Main Station and Zhongshan station were “a deliberate act”, although the motive was not immediately clear.
The suspect was identified as 27-year-old Chang Wen.
Mr Cho said in a statement that the suspect wore a mask and threw “five or six gasoline bombs or smoke grenades” at Taipei Main Station.
According to the Taipei City Fire Department, a total of four people were confirmed dead including the suspect, and five others were injured.
The city’s mayor said the suspect had apparently jumped off a building and that one of the victims was killed while trying to stop the attack at the Main Station.
“Unfortunately, he was attacked and passed away … we are all deeply saddened,” Mayor Chiang Wan-an told reporters.
“Currently, we understand that the suspect committed suicide by jumping from a building to evade arrest and has been confirmed dead,” he said.
He earlier said three people suffered cardiac arrest as a result of the attacks, and several people had “injuries from stab wounds and blunt force trauma to various parts of their bodies”.
Authorities said they were ramping up security across the island in response to the attacks.
“All important locations … including railway stations, highways, subway stations and airports are maintaining a high level of alert and vigilance,” Mr Cho said.
Images released by Taiwan’s Central News Agency show a canister on the ground at the Main Station, with officers examining potential evidence at the scene.
A video posted on social media shows a thick cloud of white smoke covering an underground section of a metro station, with some people standing at a distance.
President Lai Ching-te said Taiwanese authorities would “quickly clarify the details of the case”.
He added: “There will be no leniency and we will do everything in our power to ensure the safety of our citizens.”
Violent crime is rare Taiwan, though an attack in 2014 horrified the normally peaceful island when a man went on a stabbing spree on Taipei’s metro, killing four people.
He was executed for the killings in 2016.
AFP/AP