80-year-old man's head crushed after tour bus strikes tunnel roof in Taiwan

An elderly man has died after a tour bus crashed into a tunnel roof in Kaohsiung, Taiwan on Wednesday (March 20), HK01 reported that day.

The 80-year-old, surnamed Zhou, was seated in the front seat of the bus' upper deck when it collided with the tunnel entrance, crushing the roof of the bus.

This fractured the elderly man's skull, and he died at the scene.

At least fourteen other passengers were also injured in the accident.

Carrying 27 passengers, the tour bus was driving along a road in the Renwu District of Kaohsiung when the driver came to a stop before a tunnel, China Times reported.

Passengers stood up and collected their luggage, ready to alight, when the 56-year-old driver abruptly drove forward, colliding with the tunnel.

The collision pried the roof of the bus open and killed Zhou.

Other passengers who had stood up to collect their luggage fell to the ground, causing them to sustain injuries.

The driver is believed to have been unfamiliar with the road when he hit a tunnel with a two-metre height limit. His vehicle was approximately 3.8m high.

According to local media outlet China Times, Zhou's daughter later arrived at the scene of the incident and burst into tears. 

She had just spoken to Zhou prior to the accident and he had informed her of his safe arrival in Kaohsiung - this was their last conversation.

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khooyihang@asiaone.com