简体中文
The 53-year-old bus driver who slammed a tour bus near Taoyuan International Airport in Taipei back in July, killing 26 people, was suicidal, according to law enforcement investigators.
Over the weekend, investigators concluded that the bus driver Su Mingcheng deliberately set the bus ablaze, killing himself and everyone on board. A total of 26 people were killed. Among them, 24 were from the mainland.
The victims included 23 tourists and a tour guide from the mainland, a local driver and a local tour guide.
Investigators with the Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office are accusing the driver of drunk driving, deliberately dousing passengers with gasoline and setting the fire.
The prosecutors say they won't file a prosecution against the driver as he had also died in the incident.
Su had purchased gasoline from a petrol station half-way through the bus’ tour around Taiwan. Faced with the imminent jail time for convicted rape, Su is believed to have poured gasoline on his seat and around the exit in a horrific act of murder and suicide. Footage of the resulting blaze spread online soon after.
The Chinese mainland's Taiwan Affair Office has strongly condemned the tour bus fire after the Taiwan authorities announced the results of their investigation into case.
The disaster was the deadliest single incident involving mainland tourists since Taiwan began admitting them to the island in 2008.
(APD)
