Deadly Rockfall Hits Taitung Highway: Vehicle Crushed, Two Killed as Boulders Block Coastal Road

Taitung, Taiwan— A rockfall from a steep cliffside along Highway 11 in Taitung County crushed a moving sedan around 8:15 a.m. on October 18, killing both occupants inside.

The slide hit near the 128-kilometer mark north of Dulan, a stretch where the road hugs the coastline and cliffs rise sharply on the inland side. Boulders the size of refrigerators broke free. One struck the roof directly. The car folded.

Highway officials said recent rain had loosened the slope. The area had seen intermittent showers for two days. A small crack had been noted by patrol crews earlier in the week. No closure was ordered.

Emergency crews arrived to find the vehicle pinned under rock and dirt, blocking the northbound lane. A crane was needed to lift the largest slab. "We couldn't reach them immediately. The rocks kept shifting," a Taitung County fire official said. Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene.

Traffic backed up for kilometers in both directions. Tourist buses, delivery trucks, and scooters waited while excavators cleared the debris. Drivers stood on the shoulder, filming with phones as dust hung over the road.

The Directorate General of Highways said it had deployed geotechnical teams to inspect the slope. Wire mesh and rock bolts are installed in sections of this highway, but not here. Officials are now reviewing whether to expand the coverage.

Locals are not surprised. This road is beautiful and dangerous. Rockfall warnings are posted but often ignored. A shop owner in nearby Donghe said he heard a deep rumble, then saw dust. He thought it was a truck at first.

The two victims, believed to be a couple in their 50s from Kaohsiung, were on a coastal drive. Their identities have not been formally released pending family notification. The vehicle has been towed to a police compound.

The highway reopened to one lane by early afternoon with traffic controls. Full clearance and slope stabilization will take days.