Taiwanese authorities have confirmed that at least 18 people have been killed and 168 others injured after a high-speed train derailed in the north east of the country.

The Puyuma Express derailed as it traveled between Shulin and Taitung shortly before 5pm local time on Sunday, according to railway officials. It's been described as Taiwan's worst rail tragedy in more than three decades.

Video footage from the crash site shows four carriages overturned on a coastal railway in Yilan County, an area popular among tourists. The train had been carrying more than 366 people, one American citizen was injured.

God bless Yilan, Taiwanese passengers are safe. pic.twitter.com/DGz23QnIST — Karen Chiu (@KarenChiu14) October 21, 2018

As of 9:35pm local time, all passengers, including the dead and injured, have been accounted for and removed from the wreckage, the Taiwan Railways Administration said.

The fire department updated the death toll to 18 and injured to 160 at 7:45pm local time. "We will use all our strength and efforts for the rescue," wrote President Tsai Ing-wen on Facebook.

Taiwan's Railway Administration said it's unclear what caused the crash and they have launched an investigation: "The train was in pretty good condition," said Deputy Chief Lu Chieh-Shen in a news conference.

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