1 dead, 6 injured as Nantou shuttle bus plunges off cliff

Taipei, March 9 (CNA) One person died and six were injured on Monday after a shuttle bus traveling through a Nantou County forest recreation area drove off a mountain road and plunged 20 meters into a valley, local authorities said.

The Nantou County Fire Department said it received a call at 12:15 p.m. about a bus carrying eight people that had crashed during a tour of Sun Link Sea Forest Recreation Area in Nantou's Zhushan Township.

Upon reaching the crash site, first responders sent six passengers who had suffered light to severe injuries, along with a 66-year-old male passenger in a state of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, to a hospital for emergency treatment.

The male passenger, surnamed Chen (陳), suffered injuries to his head and was later declared dead, according to Chu Shang Chow Chwan Hospital.

The driver of the bus was not injured in the crash, the cause of which is under investigation.

According to the park's management, the bus had departed the recreation area's visitor center around noon and was traveling toward Songlong Rock Waterfall when the accident occurred. Initial reports indicate the bus may have lost control after striking a cliff face.

In a statement, Taiwan's Tourism Administration said bus tours in the forest recreation area have been suspended until the cause of the accident has been determined.