Vehicles collide on highway in Chiayi County, injuring over 20

Taipei, Feb. 16 (CNA) A tour bus collided with a sedan and was rear-ended by another bus at the intersection of county highways 166 and 159 in Chiayi County, southern Taiwan, on Sunday morning, injuring more than 20 people, according to local authorities.

The Chiayi County Fire Bureau said in a statement that one of the two tour buses carrying religious pilgrims to the Beigang Chao Tian Temple in Yunlin County collided with a sedan in front of it. It was then hit by the second tour bus from behind.

The drivers of the buses were suspected of not maintaining a safe distance from the vehicle in front of their bus, the bureau said, and the incident resulted in 24 people being injured and sent to three nearby hospitals.

There was no information available on the extent of the injuries.

According to eyewitnesses at the scene, the three vehicles collided near a red light when the first tour bus hit the sedan, and then the second tour bus rear-ended the first bus.

The driver and a female attendant in the second tour bus were briefly trapped inside the vehicle, both suffering from bone fractures on their legs, the witnesses said, adding that the two were then rescued by emergency responders and sent to a hospital.

Police's preliminary investigation indicated that the accident may have been caused by the failure of the first tour bus to maintain a safe distance from the sedan in front of it.

Police said they suspect that when the sedan stopped at the red light, the tour bus following close behind could not brake in time and collided with it. None of the drivers were under the influence of alcohol, according to the police.

However, they said the exact cause of the crash is still under investigation.