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BEING CHUNG CHOU/via REUTERS
Several train carriages were photographed on their sides, off the tracks
At least 17 people have been killed and 137 more injured after a passenger train derailed in Yilan County in Taiwan on Sunday evening.
Railway authorities say they are investigating the incident, which happened at about 16:50 local time (08:50 GMT).
A total of 366 people were onboard the high-speed train when all eight of its carriages derailed.
Taiwan’s Central News Agency reports that dozens may still be trapped.
The train, a high-speed Puyuma Express 6432 service, was travelling between Taipei and the eastern coastal county of Taitung.
It reportedly come off the tracks close to Xinma station, near the town of Su’ao about 70km (43 miles) from Taipei.
It is not immediately clear what caused the train to derail, but witnesses told local media they heard a loud noise then sparks and smoke.
Emergency medical responders, firefighters and the army have been helping the injured at the scene and transporting them to local hospitals.
Photographs from the scene show seats upended and parts of the railway tracks breaking through carriage windows in places.
Taiwan’s central government said that the premier had been notified about the situation, Reuters report.
Taiwan has an extensive train network and more than half a million passengers travel on the system every day.
The coastal train route, where the service detailed on Sunday, is popular among tourists visiting the island.