Taiwan mourns as falling air conditioner from high-rise kills university student
In a shocking incident in Taiwan, a 21 year old university student was tragically killed by a falling air conditioning unit, which dropped from the 17th floor of a building. The harrowing events unfolded yesterday afternoon, stunning spectators and raising concerns about the safety of high-rise structures.
The episode unfolded near the Xinpu MRT Station in Banqiao district, a bustling urban zone in the city of New Taipei. The student, whose surname is Huang, was on her way to university and had stopped to wait for a bus when disaster struck. In a matter of seconds, a 30-kilogram air conditioning unit fell on Huang.
Surveillance footage of the incident showed Huang slowly approaching the bus stop when the air conditioner unit struck her. The impact was so substantial that it caused a large gash on Huang’s head, and broke Huang’s legs.
Good Samaritans rushed to her aid and first aid was administered while ambulance services were on their way. She was speedily transported to Far Eastern Hospital, but despite the best efforts of the medical team, they were unable to save her, reported The Straits Times.
According to TVBS, the air conditioner unit had been negligently installed by a 31 year old worker. The unit was not securely fastened to the window frame, leading to the devastating accident. The worker is now assisting with police investigations.
Huang was a student at the acclaimed National Chengchi University. In the aftermath of the incident, a spokesperson from the university expressed deep regret for the tragic event, assuring that they would extend full support to Huang’s grieving family.
