July 19, 2016
MAC Press Release No. 47
A highway accident today (July 19, 2016) resulted in the death of 24 mainland tourists, Taiwanese tour guide and bus driver. The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) expressed regret over the victims of the major accident, conveyed condolences and concerns to the victims' families, and will fully assist with follow-up affairs.
The Taiwan Strait Tourism Association and Cross-strait Tourism Exchange Association, Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) and Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), and MAC and Taiwan Affairs Office immediately made contact or notification after the incident through the existing mechanisms. The Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Tourism Bureau, and Taoyuan City Government have set up response centers to coordinate relevant departments and take full and appropriate response measures.
Based on humanitarian grounds and full consideration of the victims' families and Mainland demands, the relevant departments will maintain liaison and notification to deal with the aftermath of the incident. The utmost effort will be made to help arrange for the victims’ families and assisting Mainland personnel. The aftermath of the incident, insurance claims, family comfort, and other matters will also be properly handled.
In addition, the government will conduct a thorough review of the cause of the accident and continue to strengthen travel safety management in hopes to prevent the recurrence of such unfortunate incidents.