Mainland student injured in Taiwan train derailment leaves hospital

HUALIEN -- A mainland student who was studying at a college in Taiwan was slightly injured in Friday's deadly train derailment, but has left hospital after receiving treatment for his wounds.

The student, surnamed Wang, said he is currently in a sound physical condition.

"I wanted to go to Taitung during the holiday, but I didn't expect to encounter such an accident," he told Xinhua in a telephone interview.

Wang said he only got a ticket for standing room as seat tickets are usually hard to come by during holidays. When the accident happened, he was in the first carriage, which was the last section of the train.

Wang was among the survivors of the deadliest train derailment in Taiwan for over four decades, killing 51 people and injuring over 180.

The accident occurred in a tunnel in eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 9:28 am Friday, the start of the four-day Tomb-sweeping Day holiday. Many passengers on board were heading home to tend to family graves.

The train went off the rails after hitting a truck that had slid down from a road to a nearby construction site.