Report: Japan-made device malfunctioned before deadly Taiwan train crash

Nov. 2 (UPI) -- A fatal "design flaw" on a Japan-made safety device may have contributed to the high-speed train wreck in Taiwan in October, according to a Japanese press report.

Nippon Sharyo, the manufacturer of the Puyuma Express train cars, said the device malfunctioned before the deadly accident that killed 18 people and injured more than 200 people, the Asahi Shimbun reported Friday.

The purpose of the device is to alert railroad operation command about emergencies. Three minutes before the accident, the driver switched off the device to alert headquarters of problems with the train's power system, and to begin manual operations.

But the alert was not received on time, and not properly transmitted due to the defective device, Nippon Sharyo said.

The Taiwan Railways Administration said command center never received a report from the driver.

Nippon Sharyo also declined to elaborate on the details.

"As the cause of the accident is currently under investigation by Taiwanese authorities, we cannot tell if our mistake is linked to the accident," the Japanese firm said.

The latest findings come only a day after the driver of the high-speed train publicly apologized to the families of crash victims, kneeling before the family at a memorial, NHK reported.

Surveillance camera footage of the accident was released last month, according to Taiwan News.

The 12-second video shows the train rapidly approaching a bend, then leaning to its left before derailing and rolling onto its left side.