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S'pore couple, missing for 265 days since Hualien April 2024 earthquake, declared dead by Taiwan court
Death certificates were issued by the Hualien district court, following an application by their family.
December 25, 2024, 01:02 PM
A couple from Singapore who went missing during the Taiwan Hualien earthquake in April 2024 have been declared dead after 265 days.
According to Taiwanese media, death certificates were issued by the Hualien district court on Dec. 23, 2024, following an application made by their family.
The time of their deaths was listed as 12pm on Apr. 3, 2024.
However, the family still hopes to continue searching for their whereabouts.
What happened on the day of the earthquake?
The couple was seen alighting a bus on the Shakadang trail in Hualien's Taroko Gorge at 7.20am on Apr. 3, according to in-car camera footage pulled from the vehicle.
Just 40 minutes later, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan, the worst earthquake to hit Taiwan in 25 years.
The Taroko Gorge is located in Taroko National Park, one of nine national parks in Taiwan and a popular tourist destination.
Following the earthquake, search-and-rescue efforts continued for up to 12 days before being called off with the family's agreement, SETN further reported.
The search-and-rescue efforts were suspended due to safety concerns over aftershocks and landslides.
In a statement, the family thanked the search-and-rescue team from the Hualien County Fire Department for their efforts.
SETN reported that death certificates issued for the Singapore couple mean a total of eight people were dead on the Shakadang trail at the time of the earthquake.
The other casualties include a family of five from New Taipei City, and a 21-year-old woman surnamed Hu.
Top photo via 花蓮地震救災即時資訊/Facebook
