Nantou County Police Bureau, central Taiwan. Photo: Google Maps

A 37-year-old Vietnamese migrant worker killed a 24-year-old compatriot by stabbing him in the left chest with a vegetable knife during a lunch meeting on Sunday in Nantou county, central Taiwan.

That afternoon, six Vietnamese workers were having a hotpot lunch on the rooftop of a residential building on Tongyuan Road, Nantou, China Times reported. The men were drinking at the same time.

At around 2pm, a 24-year-old man surnamed Nguyen, allegedly drunk, threw a bowl at a 37-year-old man, also surnamed Nguyen, as the former did not like the latter giving orders such as to hand him tissues and dishes.

The 37-year-old man was infuriated, and grabbed a vegetable knife next to the gas stove, stabbed the younger man in his chest, and fled.

A homeowner heard the dispute and rushed to the scene, where he found four men standing in shock while the 24-year-old man was lying unconscious in a pool of blood. The victim was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The suspect surrendered himself to the Nantou County Police Bureau that night, admitting that he had had a dispute with the victim and wounded him. But he insisted he did not realize his violence could lead to the victim’s death.

The man has been remanded for alleged murder. An autopsy will be conducted to confirm the actual cause of death of the 24-year-old man.
