Premier Jiang Yi-huah today expressed his condolences and sympathy for the victims of the stabbing spree inside the Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system yesterday afternoon and urged local government and agencies with jurisdiction over the case to make an all-out effort to assist the victims and their families to deal with the aftermath.
"This attack has shocked the nation," Jiang said.
The premier made these remarks after being briefed by the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) and Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) on the case, which was the first-ever random stabbing on a Taiwanese public transportation vehicle. A total of four people were killed and 23 others injured during the attack; the suspected culprit, a university student, has been taken into custody.
The incident is being considered a major public security case, and the National Police Administration and local police agencies have stationed additional officers on public transportation vehicles and at public places to enhance safety. The premier asked the MOI and MOTC to supervise their subordinates' efforts and comprehensively strengthen security maintenance at MRT stations and on MRT cars.
Jiang ordered that police patrolling the MRT lines, station staff, and medical personnel step up their regular training so that they can properly handle emergencies as soon as they take place. All emergency operating procedures must be reviewed so that every ground-level employee is familiar with them, which should lower the degree of harm inflicted should a similar incident occur in the future, he advised.
The above security measures must be clearly explained to citizens to set their hearts at ease, the premier added.
"The suspect's assault on innocent MRT passengers severely endangered the personal safety of the members of our community," Jiang stated. He asked police and prosecutorial agencies to swiftly ascertain the details of the case and the motivation of the suspect in order to pursue prosecution and punishment.