Taipei MRT panic on Christmas night as man bangs window with umbrella, elderly woman injured in stampede

TAIWAN: Passengers on a Taipei MRT train were sent into panic on Christmas night after a man began shouting loudly and repeatedly striking a train window with an umbrella, prompting commuters to flee the carriage.

According to Taiwanese media outlet ETtoday, the incident occurred at around 8.30pm on a train passing through the Beimen Station area on the Songshan–Xindian Line.

Police said the man, believed to be in his 40s, suddenly became emotionally unstable while inside the carriage.

He reportedly shouted and used a long umbrella to strike the train window, producing repeated banging noises that startled nearby passengers.

Although no one was directly attacked, the sudden disturbance led many commuters to believe a dangerous situation was unfolding.

Several passengers ran into adjacent carriages or rushed off the train when it stopped, leaving behind personal belongings such as bags and luggage.

Elderly woman injured during panic

While no assault took place, an elderly woman in her 70s was injured after she fell amid the crowd movement. She was taken to hospital for treatment and was reported to be conscious.

MRT staff and police arrived shortly afterwards and quickly brought the situation under control. Authorities later confirmed that the man was not carrying a weapon and had no intention of attacking anyone.

He was subsequently taken away by family members, with reports indicating he may have been experiencing mental or emotional distress.

Taipei MRT services were not disrupted and operations returned to normal shortly after.

Police reminded members of the public to remain calm in crowded spaces and to avoid rushing or pushing during sudden disturbances, noting that panic itself can lead to injuries.

They added that situations involving emotional distress should be handled with caution to prevent unnecessary harm.

Recent deadly MRT attack heightens public anxiety

The Christmas night incident occurred just days after a violent and premeditated attack in central Taipei on 19 December, when a man assaulted commuters at two major metro stations using smoke bombs and a knife, leaving three people dead and 11 others injured.

According to Taipei City authorities, the attacker, identified as 27-year-old Chang Wen, began his rampage at 5.24pm at the M7 exit of Taipei Main Station on the Bannan Line.

Wearing a baseball cap and a gas mask, Chang entered the B1 passageway pushing a cart containing weapons and incendiary materials. He threw four smoke bombs before drawing a 30cm knife.

A 57-year-old passerby, surnamed Yu, was fatally wounded when he attempted to intervene. Emergency personnel arrived promptly and found him with no vital signs. Despite resuscitation efforts at hospital, he was later declared dead.

Roughly an hour later, Chang reappeared outside Zhongshan MRT Station, again throwing smoke bombs and randomly slashing at civilians before entering the nearby Eslite Nanxi Store to continue the attack.

Chang was later found dead after falling from the fifth floor of the building. Authorities suspect he jumped in an attempt to avoid capture, though the circumstances remain under investigation.

Investigators described the attack as deliberate but said the motive remains unclear. Police have preliminarily ruled out terrorism, stating there was no evidence of ideological or organisational links, and believe Chang acted alone with the intention to “randomly kill people”.

On 23 December, Chang’s parents knelt publicly and apologised, pledging full cooperation with investigators.

“The heinous crimes committed by Chang Wen have caused serious harm to society and inflicted irreparable suffering on the victims and their families,” his father said.

“We would like to apologise to everyone. We are sorry.” He added that the family would fully cooperate with the judicial investigation.