TAIPEI (TVBS News) — A lineman employed by Taiwan Power Company (Taipower, 台電), the island's state-owned electricity provider, continues fighting for his life after sustaining a massive electric shock while conducting emergency repairs to downed power lines in a typhoon-ravaged region. Medical officials at Chi Mei Medical Center (柳營奇美醫院) in southern Taiwan issued an update on Wednesday (July 16) confirming that the worker's heart and lung functions have achieved temporary stabilization through an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) life-support system. Physicians noted the high-voltage incident has inflicted severe cardiac and pulmonary trauma.
Hospital reports indicate the life-threatening accident occurred on Tuesday when the technician, identified only as Mr. Li from Taipower's Chiayi District Office in central Taiwan, came into contact with a 6,000-volt electrical current while performing post-typhoon repairs. The powerful surge traveled through the worker's body, entering through his left hand before exiting via his right hand, causing tests to reveal dangerously elevated cardiac inflammation markers. The hospital's trauma team has conducted one minor surgical procedure to address the immediate physiological damage from the electrical burns.
The severity of the incident has drawn high-level government attention, with President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) personally visiting the medical facility around 10 a.m. to receive briefings on the worker's condition. Economic Minister J.W. Kuo (郭智輝), whose portfolio includes oversight of Taiwan's energy infrastructure, has publicly voiced optimism for the technician's recovery. Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) called for public solidarity with utility workers, emphasizing their crucial role during the ongoing power restoration campaign following the typhoon's destruction.
The accident has triggered a formal workplace safety investigation, with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (職安署), Taiwan's labor safety regulatory agency, revealing that preliminary findings indicate the worker had failed to wear required insulated protective gloves during the high-voltage repair operation. This safety violation has prompted authorities to suspend all operations on the affected feeder line pending a comprehensive review. Taipower now faces potential regulatory penalties of up to NT$300,000 (approximately US$10,239) for the workplace safety infraction. While the local community has mobilized support for the injured technician and his family, government investigators continue examining the circumstances surrounding the incident to implement preventative measures for future emergency repair scenarios. ◼
(At time of reporting, US$1 equals approximately NT$29.3)
