Nantou: One person died and six were injured on Monday after a shuttle bus traveling through a Nantou County forest recreation area drove off a mountain road and plunged 20 meters into a valley, local authorities said. The Nantou County Fire Department reported receiving a call at 12:15 p.m. about a bus carrying eight people that had crashed during a tour of Sun Link Sea Forest Recreation Area in Nantou's Zhushan Township.

According to Focus Taiwan, first responders reached the crash site and transported six passengers who had sustained light to severe injuries, along with a 66-year-old male passenger in a state of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, to a hospital for emergency treatment. The male passenger, surnamed Chen, suffered head injuries and was later declared dead at Chu Shang Chow Chwan Hospital.

The driver of the bus was not injured in the crash, the cause of which is under investigation. The park's management indicated that the bus had departed the recreation area's visitor center around noon and was traveling toward Songlong Rock Waterfall when the accident occurred. Initial reports suggest the bus may have lost control after striking a cliff face.

Taiwan's Tourism Administration stated that bus tours in the forest recreation area have been suspended until the cause of the accident has been determined.