Mass casualty attack shocks Taiwan as knife rampage hits Taipei

At least three people were killed and five others wounded Friday after a knife-wielding attacker went on a violent rampage through the heart of Taipei, turning the city’s evening commute into chaos..Taiwanese authorities say the suspect, a 27-year-old man, set off smoke bombs and Molotov cocktails inside Taipei Main Station — the capital’s busiest transit hub — before fleeing on foot and stabbing people along the way.The station connects to a dense underground shopping district and serves as a central node for metro and rail traffic.Premier Cho Jung-tai said the suspect then moved roughly 800 metres to another subway station in a crowded shopping area, where he allegedly ignited more smoke devices and continued the attack.One man who attempted to intervene was struck with a blunt object and later died in hospital.The suspect later died after falling from a building, Cho confirmed.Authorities have not released details on how the fall occurred, and the motive for the attack remains unclear.Videos circulating on social media show commuters running in panic as smoke filled parts of the station during the height of rush hour..Violent attacks of this scale are rare in Taiwan, which has one of the lowest violent crime rates in Asia.The last comparable incident occurred in 2014, when a man fatally stabbed four people on a Taipei subway train — an attack that shocked the nation. The perpetrator was later executed.In response to Friday’s violence, Cho ordered heightened security at metro and railway stations, as well as airports nationwide.“We will investigate the suspect’s background and associated relationships to understand his motives and determine whether there are other connected factors,” Cho said, according to Reuters.President William Lai also pledged a swift and thorough investigation as authorities work to determine what led to one of the deadliest public attacks Taiwan has seen in more than a decade.

Mass casualty attack shocks Taiwan as knife rampage hits Taipei

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