Taiwan military vehicle breakdown causes traffic chaos

TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's military faced an unexpected disruption Friday (July 4) when a CM-32 Clouded Leopard armored vehicle (雲豹裝甲車), Taiwan's domestically produced eight-wheeled infantry fighting vehicle, broke down during exercises in Keelung (基隆), a major northern port city. The mechanical failure occurred around 9:10 a.m., triggering severe traffic congestion on the busy Zhong 2nd Road (中山二路). The disabled vehicle remained stranded in the outermost lane of the dual carriageway, forcing an entire convoy of military vehicles to halt and leaving only the innermost lane available for civilian traffic.

Military officials responded swiftly to the incident, dispatching technical personnel and five support vehicles to the scene to address the mechanical failure. Soldiers took immediate action to direct traffic around the stranded vehicle, attempting to minimize disruption on the busy thoroughfare. Preliminary reports indicate the armored vehicle likely stalled due to a suspected battery failure, though military officials continue investigating the exact cause of the breakdown. The timing of the incident during morning rush hour compounded the problem, leading local authorities to issue advisories urging commuters to seek alternative routes to avoid significant delays. ◼