A Taipei taxi driver yesterday took 27 bus passengers hostage, then released them and surrendered to police after a three-hour stand-off.
Chen Neng-ping, 33, handed police two meat cleavers and a fruit knife after opposition politicians Jaw Shau-kong and Hau Lung-pin convinced him to surrender. Chen had demanded to see Mr Jaw in exchange for the passengers' release.
The politicians, both leading figures in the right-wing New Party, later said they believed Chen was mentally ill.
Police said the drama began yesterday morning when Chen tried and failed to ignite a tank of propane gas at the Taipei County home of a friend with whom he had been staying.
Chen left the flat and boarded a public bus bound for Taipei city.
Passengers said he brandished his weapons and demanded that the driver head for the Criminal Investigation Bureau's east Taipei headquarters.