A tourist on a guided tour at Taitung's well-known attraction the "Forest Museum" was stung to death by giant hornets, and a court has ordered the operator and an unlicensed tour guide to pay NT$5.48 million in joint compensation — belated justice for the victim's family and a serious warning to the operator.

• During a paid guided tour in November 2023, 11 people were stung by hornets. A man surnamed Wang went into severe allergic shock after being stung by an Asian giant hornet, and despite a month of emergency treatment he died of multiple organ failure.

• The Taitung District Court found that the operator had failed to fulfil its duties of safety and first aid, and that the guide was unlicensed; both were at fault and must pay joint compensation.

• The operator was ordered to pay the family more than NT$2.12 million in costs ranging from emergency treatment to funeral expenses, plus more than NT$620,000 in punitive damages under the Consumer Protection Act, for a total of over NT$5.48 million.

• The operator argued that the hornet nest was hidden and located on a public road outside the park, making it a case of force majeure; the court did not accept this, noting that the nest was only 50 metres from the entrance and that giant hornets were already known to frequent the area.

• The judge cited the Ministry of Labor's "Guidelines for Preventing the Hazard of Hornet Stings in Outdoor Work," holding that the operator should have confirmed the safety of the route in advance and had antidote medication ready.

Outlook: The case can still be appealed, and the ruling also sets a stricter standard for the safety responsibilities of outdoor tour operators.