A Chinese tourist who was hit in the head by a falling rock in Taroko National Park is in critical condition at Hualien City-based Tzu-Chi Buddhist General Hospital, hospital personnel said Friday.
The tourist, identified only by the family name Wang, was rushed to the hospital earlier in the day after sightseeing in the park in the eastern Taiwan county of Hualien.
Wang had no vital signs on the way to the hospital but was later revived and had a weak pulse, according to the hospital.
Wang sustained a 10-centimeter gash to the head and severe internal injuries but could not be operated on because her brain stem was injured, the hospital said.
As of 7 p.m., Wang was still in intensive care and in critical condition, the hospital added.
After having being informed of the accident, Hualien County Magistrate Fu Kun-chi visited Wang at the hospital, where he said he had ordered an investigation into what happened.
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Taroko National Park Headquarters Deputy Director Chang Teng-wen suggested that recent rain and earthquakes may have loosened some of the rocks on the park’s cliffs.
A preliminary probe found that Wang was hit by a rock that broke away from the mountain because of natural forces rather than being pushed by monkeys as some people at the scene had said, he noted.
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