Dozens dead in Taiwan train crash

At least 48 people, including the train's conductor, died when a passenger train collided with a truck outside a tunnel along Taiwan’s east coast Friday morning. Authorities said at least 120 passengers were injured in Taiwan’s worst train accident in at least four decades.

What caused the accident? An improperly parked construction truck rolled down a slope and collided with the train before it entered a tunnel. The impact crushed several carriages and derailed two others. With most of the train trapped in the tunnel, passengers jumped out of windows and doors to get to safety. The 408 Taroko Express had about 350 passengers onboard. Friday is the first of a four-day public holiday in Taiwan for the Tomb Sweeping Festival.

Dig deeper: Read my report in the Sift on a train collision in Egypt that killed at least 32 people.

Editor’s note: WORLD has updated this report since its initial posting.