2 Filipino students perish in scooter crash in Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung, June 1 (CNA) Two Filipino students enrolled at a technology university in Kaohsiung were killed in a scooter crash in the southern Taiwan city's Cijin District early Sunday morning, local police said.

According to police from the Gushan Precinct of the Kaohsiung City Police Department, one of the students -- both aged 19 -- was riding a scooter southbound on Cijin 3rd Road with the other as a passenger at 4:30 a.m.

The scooter struck a roadside curb while navigating a curve, for reasons that remain unclear, the police said.

The passenger, identified by his Chinese surname Su (蘇) from his student ID, was pronounced dead at the scene. Meanwhile, the driver, identified by his Chinese surname Ou (歐) from his student ID, was taken to the hospital but was later declared dead.

Police said that the cause of the crash is still under investigation, including whether alcohol was involved. The Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office will determine this during a formal examination, they added.

Authorities urged motorcyclists to stay alert, maintain safe speeds, and exercise extra caution, especially during low-visibility hours such as nighttime or early morning, to avoid similar tragedies.