A quiet Friday rush hour in Taipei turned into chaos.
Smoke filled the air. People ran. And by the end of it, at least three lives were lost.
Authorities say a 27-year-old man armed with a knife went on a violent spree across central Taipei, injuring nine others.
It began at the city’s main metro station, where he reportedly threw smoke bombs and Molotov cocktails.
He then fled through underground shopping corridors and into one of the busiest retail districts.
“He attacked people randomly along the way,” Premier Cho Jung-tai said, describing a trail of violence that stretched nearly a kilometre.
Rare Violence Shocks Taipei
One man who tried to stop the attacker was fatally injured. Others were stabbed near Zhongshan Station, a popular shopping hub.
Videos circulating online show panicked commuters sprinting for safety as smoke bombs were hurled across roads.
The suspect, identified as Chang Wen, later died after falling from a multi-storey building when police closed in. His motive? Still unknown.
Violent attacks like this are extremely rare in Taiwan, a place known for its low crime rates.
The last similar incident in Taipei shocked the nation more than a decade ago, in 2014.
President William Lai has promised a swift investigation, while security has been tightened across transport hubs.
For a city used to feeling safe, the question now lingers: how did an ordinary commute turn into a nightmare?
