Taipei City – On Thursday, an explosion went off in a section of a commuter train injuring 21 people in Taipei City, China. The train was passing nearby Taipei’s Songshan Railway Station when the detonation provoked a fire on the train Thursday night.

The train was traveling from Taipei to Keelung, which is around 3 hours away from the capital city, according to the Straits Time, and the incident is what they believed the worst train blast in Taipei. Witnesses said they noticed a man who entered the train and left a bag in the cabin moments before the explosion. They added that they heard 3 blasts inside the carriage, Strait Times reports.

Around 10 p.m. emergency calls notified Taipei’s Fire Department about the tragedy and more than 10 ambulances and 10 fire engines were sent to the scene.

Police bomb squad chief Lee Tzu-wen told local television networks that officers found a broken metal tube filled with explosive material inside a black pack. The tube was 6 inch-long (15 centimeters), and they believed it was the cause of the explosion.

Taipei City is commonly known as Taiwan

The island’s Central News Agency says Taiwanese police suspects the detonation in Taipei Train 1258 was caused by an explosive in the train car. The Central reported that Chen Kuo-en, the director of Taiwan’s National Police Agency, said they found what appeared to be an explosive 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 centimeters) long and described the device as similar to a firecracker.

The Central News Agency reported that Taiwan’s premier, Lin Chuan, commanded government agencies to form a team to investigate the blast and declared that the events looked like someone did it intentionally. He continued telling reporters that they are making their best efforts to investigate the case and asked Taiwanese to trust that officers will provide effective and efficient security for all passengers.

A man is taken to an ambulance following the explosion of a train in Taipei City. The unexpected blast went off on Thursday afternoon, leaving 21 people injured. Image Credit: Yahoo
A man is taken to an ambulance following the explosion of a train in Taipei City. The unexpected blast went off on Thursday afternoon, leaving 21 people injured. Image Credit: Yahoo

All victims were transported in another train back to the station were ambulances and paramedics were waiting to transport them to the Tri-Service General Hospital and other local health centers, The China Post informed.

Among the victims, 4 are seriously hurt, including a 14-year-old boy who suffered second to third-degree burns on his face. Lin Chuan visited victims at the hospital after ordering the best medical attention for the victims, and he told reporters that the police has raised the alert level and toughen surveillance. He assured his citizens “to be at ease,” Straits Times said.

Both the National Police Agency and the Criminal Investigation Bureau are in charge of the investigation, says The China Post. And according to the Straits Time, police officers are already on the hunt for the suspect that is believed to be in his 40s, as stated by witnesses.

Source: Straits Time