New Taipei City Banqiao Road Surface Explosion: Taipower Initially Judges Termites Damaged Cable as Cause
A road surface explosion occurred at the intersection of County Magistrate Avenue and Minsheng Road in Banqiao District, New Taipei City. Taipower's initial assessment attributes the incident to termites damaging an underground 20,000-volt high-voltage cable. The accident temporarily caused a power outage for 4,726 households. Taipower has completed repairs, the road has been reopened, and enhanced inspections will follow.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 14, 2026 at 20:14
- 🔍 Collected: April 14, 2026 at 20:31 (17 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 15, 2026 at 17:18 (20h 46m after Collected)
NEW TAIPEI CITY, April 14 (CNA) -- A road surface explosion suddenly occurred at the intersection of County Magistrate Avenue and Minsheng Road in Banqiao District, New Taipei City, startling passing vehicles and pedestrians. Taipower, present at the scene, discovered a termite nest and preliminarily determined that termites had chewed through a high-voltage cable, causing the incident. Repairs have been completed, and the road has been reopened.
At the intersection of County Magistrate Avenue Section 2 and Minsheng Road Section 2 in Banqiao District, specifically at the approach to Huacui Bridge heading towards Taipei City, the road surface exploded for unknown reasons at 12:38 PM today. The local Haishan Precinct and fire department immediately dispatched personnel to control the scene and direct traffic. No injuries were reported.
According to surveillance footage reviewed by the police, as vehicles waited at a red light under Minsheng Bridge, the road surface suddenly exploded, causing the asphalt to rupture. The Public Works Bureau immediately notified the gas company, Taipower, and other relevant units to the scene to clarify the cause of the explosion.
The Public Works Bureau stated that after investigation, it was confirmed that the road surface was damaged due to a broken underground 20,000-volt high-voltage cable, resulting in a pit approximately 2 square meters in size. The explosion temporarily caused a power outage for nearby residents. Taipower dispatched personnel for repairs, and the road surface was restored and reopened by 5:30 PM.
The Public Works Bureau indicated that according to Taipower's investigation, a termite nest was found at the site. It is preliminarily believed that termite damage to the underground cable joint caused the incident, leading to air expansion and road surface explosion during a short circuit. Taipower dispatched personnel for repairs, and the road surface has been fixed. Subsequently, inspections will be strengthened to prevent similar accidents.
Taipower reported that this underground cable damage incident caused a power outage for a total of 4,726 households in areas including Zhongshan Road Section 2 and Jiankang Road in Zhonghe District, and Ren'ai Road and Baosheng Road in Yonghe District. Within 5 minutes of the incident, 3,910 households had their power restored through rerouting, and the remaining 816 households had their power fully restored by 1:25 PM after repairs. (Edited by Li Hengshan) April 14, 2026.
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At the intersection of County Magistrate Avenue Section 2 and Minsheng Road Section 2 in Banqiao District, specifically at the approach to Huacui Bridge heading towards Taipei City, the road surface exploded for unknown reasons at 12:38 PM today. The local Haishan Precinct and fire department immediately dispatched personnel to control the scene and direct traffic. No injuries were reported.
According to surveillance footage reviewed by the police, as vehicles waited at a red light under Minsheng Bridge, the road surface suddenly exploded, causing the asphalt to rupture. The Public Works Bureau immediately notified the gas company, Taipower, and other relevant units to the scene to clarify the cause of the explosion.
The Public Works Bureau stated that after investigation, it was confirmed that the road surface was damaged due to a broken underground 20,000-volt high-voltage cable, resulting in a pit approximately 2 square meters in size. The explosion temporarily caused a power outage for nearby residents. Taipower dispatched personnel for repairs, and the road surface was restored and reopened by 5:30 PM.
The Public Works Bureau indicated that according to Taipower's investigation, a termite nest was found at the site. It is preliminarily believed that termite damage to the underground cable joint caused the incident, leading to air expansion and road surface explosion during a short circuit. Taipower dispatched personnel for repairs, and the road surface has been fixed. Subsequently, inspections will be strengthened to prevent similar accidents.
Taipower reported that this underground cable damage incident caused a power outage for a total of 4,726 households in areas including Zhongshan Road Section 2 and Jiankang Road in Zhonghe District, and Ren'ai Road and Baosheng Road in Yonghe District. Within 5 minutes of the incident, 3,910 households had their power restored through rerouting, and the remaining 816 households had their power fully restored by 1:25 PM after repairs. (Edited by Li Hengshan) April 14, 2026.
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