A woman surnamed Su (?) who led an outing Saturday on which at least four people died and two remain missing after being swept into New Taipei’s Beishi River has been questioned and released on bail, according to the Keelung District Prosecutors Office.
Su is under investigation for negligence resulting in death. After being questioned by police and prosecutors, she was released Sunday evening on a NT$200,000 (US$7,072) bail, Chief Prosecutor Chen Ying-chen (???), who is leading the investigation into the case, told CNA.
Su is also subject to residence restrictions, Chen said.
The bodies of the four deceased have been inspected and returned to their families, and a prosecutors task force has been created to investigate the case further, Chen said.
The outing on Saturday was organized by the company Tien Ta Ti Fang Tzu Jan Wen Hua (????????????) via the Facebook page Ta Fang Nature Experiences (??????).
The group of 16 adults and 15 children, led by Su, originally set out for the Hubaotan Historic Trail in New Taipei’s Shuangxi District before turning back due to heavy rain.
As the group was attempting to cross the Beishi River via a check dam on their way back, two adults and four children were swept into the water.
The check dam is not part of a designated walking route and lacks safety features such as railings.
As of Monday morning, the bodies of two adults and two children have been found, and the search continues for the remaining two children, who are 15 and eight years old.
In addition to Su, who served as a guide on the outing and is a company shareholder, the company’s chairman, who is surnamed Chang (?) and a shareholder surnamed Tu (?) have also been questioned by police.
The case is being investigated by the Keelung District Prosecutors Office as six districts in New Taipei, including Shuangxi District, where the accident occurred, fall under the office’s jurisdiction.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel
