A 14-year-old student in Taiwan died after being crushed by a heavy basketball hoop while helping move the equipment at his school, with his family now seeking answers over alleged safety failures.
The incident happened on August 20 at Ziqiang Junior High School in Zhudong Township, Hsinchu County. The student, identified by his surname Chen, was a member of the school’s basketball team and had been attending a regular summer training session at the school gymnasium.
According to reports, the gym was scheduled to be used by an outside group the following day, prompting plans to move an electric hydraulic basketball hoop to the side of the court. The coach had intended to gather seven or eight students to assist with the task. However, before all the students had been assembled, Chen and four other students reportedly began moving the equipment together.
The basketball structure, which reportedly weighs nearly 300kg, suddenly toppled during the process, apparently after a suspected failure involving its hydraulic system. Chen was trapped beneath the equipment and suffered severe chest injuries.
Emergency responders were called at around 2.53pm and transported Chen to Taipei Veterans General Hospital Hsinchu Branch at approximately 3.20pm. Medical staff immediately performed CPR, but despite efforts to save him, he was pronounced dead at 5.49pm that evening.
Chen’s family, who are from an indigenous community in Wufeng Township, are now demanding accountability. The teenager was a twin, with his brother also attending the same school and undergoing athletics training when the accident occurred. The family said their son had gone to school to play basketball, not to move a basketball hoop.
The family has questioned why students were allowed to handle such heavy equipment without a teacher or coach supervising the process. They also alleged that operating guidelines for the basketball structure require people to remain at least three metres away and that the equipment should be handled by teachers.
They have requested that the school provide information about the equipment’s maintenance and inspection history, while also calling for the relevant CCTV footage and evidence to be preserved. The family has formally submitted a claim for state compensation through Hsinchu County authorities.
The Hsinchu County Government expressed its condolences over the teenager’s death and said its Education Department would provide the family with support, including legal assistance. Authorities said the formal compensation process would begin once the application is officially received, while the exact cause of the accident remains under investigation.
