Tragedy struck in Shulin District, New Taipei City on Thursday, August 14, when a 20-year-old man attempting to capture sunset photos on a power tower at Datong Mountain was fatally electrocuted. The accident not only caused a fire and local power outage, but also left the man’s body charred. Reports indicate he had been accompanied by his girlfriend, whose phone holds the final images of him alive.
According to authorities, the man and his girlfriend had planned to climb the mountain together in the early evening. While she photographed him from below, he climbed to the top of the tower to take sunset shots. Suddenly, she heard a “bang” and realized he had fallen. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, and his body ignited upon contact, with the flames spreading to nearby grass due to strong winds.
Emergency services responded quickly, dispatching 20 vehicles and 55 personnel to contain the blaze, which covered roughly 30 square meters. Firefighters successfully extinguished the fire by 9:30 p.m., but the tragic incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of climbing high structures, especially near live electrical equipment.
