Convictions upheld for contractors over bridge collapse that killed 6

Taipei, April 30 (CNA) Taiwan's High Court on Thursday upheld negligent homicide convictions for four contractors over the 2019 collapse of Yilan County's Nanfang'ao Bridge, which killed six fishermen and injured 12.

The court rejected appeals from both prosecutors and defendants, maintaining prison sentences of between 18 months and two years for the four, including a contractor surnamed Lin (林), engineer Wu (吳), project manager Pien (邊), and supervisor Chen (陳).

Wu received a five-year suspended sentence after confessing before the end of oral arguments and was ordered to pay NT$250,000 to the treasury.

Not-guilty verdicts for two former officials at the Su'ao Port office of Taiwan International Ports Corp. were also upheld, with the court citing a lack of new evidence.

The court said the collapse was primarily caused by construction flaws, including poor drainage in the anchorage bearings that allowed water to accumulate and corrode structural components. It added that Chen had been aware that some materials used did not match project specifications.

During the trial, which ran from November 2024 to January 2026, expert assessments found discrepancies between the bridge's structure and its as-built drawings, along with long-term corrosion from humid conditions. The court ruled the four defendants had been negligent in areas including oversight and on-site supervision.

It also said that passing inspections does not guarantee a structure is free of defects, rejecting the defendants' argument that prior approval absolved them of responsibility.

The government has compensated victims and their families, while the port authority is pursuing further civil claims.

The bridge collapsed on Oct. 1, 2019, killing three Indonesian and three Filipino fishermen. A replacement bridge opened in December 2022.