Remains of S'pore man who went missing with wife after Hualien 2024 earthquake found

The partial remains of the Singapore couple, who went missing following the Hualien earthquake on Apr. 3, 2024, were found on Jan. 24, 2025.

The police confirmed the remains matched those of Sim Hwee Kok, 47, who went missing with his wife Neo Siew Choo, 47, after they were last seen alighting a bus on the Shakadang trail in Hualien's Taroko Gorge just 40 minutes before the earthquake hit.

The findings come approximately nine months after the earthquake and a month after death certificates were issued for the couple by their family.

A bone found below the landslide on Jan. 11

A farmer was inspecting and sorting crops near the Shakadang Trail in Taroko National Park at around 7am on Jan. 11 when he found a bone on a riverbed below the landslide, according to China Times.

He immediately reported the findings to the police.

The police scouted the nearby location where the bone was found, but could not find other remains.

After comparing the DNA samples, it was confirmed that the remains matched those of Sim's on Jan. 24.

The prosecutor suspected that the buried remains may have washed down the river along with the typhoon rain due to the large-scale collapse behind a large water pipe on the trail.

The remains will be returned to the family at a later date.

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, 2024, 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.

Death certificates issued for the couple on Dec. 23, 2024

Death certificates for the couple were issued by the Hualien district court on Dec. 23, 2024, following an application made by their family.

It came 265 days after the earthquake.

The time of their deaths was listed as 12pm on Apr. 3, 2024.

Top image via 花蓮地震救災即時資訊/Facebook and China Times