Singaporean Victim of April 2024 Taiwan Earthquake Identified
The tragic aftermath of the April 2024 earthquake that struck Taiwan’s Hualien county has finally seen some closure with the identification of a Singaporean victim. Taiwanese media reported on Sunday (Jan 26) that the remains of a 59-year-old man named Mr. Sim Hwee Kok were found by a man named Wang on Jan 11 beneath a landslide area along the Shakadang Trail.
Discovery of Human Remains
Mr. Sim and his partner, Ms. Neo Siew Choo, were last seen on surveillance cameras getting off a bus near the Shakadang Trail at around 7.20am on Apr 3, 2024, just 40 minutes before the 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck. The discovery of the human remains sparked a search by the police in the area, although no additional remains were found. Forensic experts later confirmed that the discovered remains were a human hip bone.
Identification through DNA Analysis
The remains were transferred to Hualien’s district court for further investigation, and on Jan 24, DNA analysis conclusively confirmed that they belonged to Mr. Sim. His identity was verified by matching the DNA from the remains with a sample provided by his son, who had travelled to Taiwan in the aftermath of the earthquake to search for his father.
Tragic Fate of the Singaporean Couple
Mr. Sim and Ms. Neo were the only two individuals reported missing after the earthquake whom authorities had not been able to locate. Taiwanese authorities believe that the couple was swept away by a landslide on the Shakadang Trail during the quake, with Mr. Sim’s remains carried into a ravine by the force of debris and river currents. Hualien’s district court announced its intention to inform Mr. Sim’s family to make arrangements for the retrieval of his remains.
Final Closure with Death Certificates
In a somber turn of events, Taiwanese authorities issued death certificates for Mr. Sim and Ms. Neo in December, as they had not been found and were presumed dead. The certificates list the couple’s time of death as noon on Apr 3, coinciding with the earthquake that was recorded as the most powerful to hit Taiwan in 25 years. The disaster triggered landslides, blocked roads, damaged buildings around Hualien city, and was followed by over 1,100 aftershocks, leaving over 1,000 people injured and at least 18 dead.
The identification of Mr. Sim’s remains offers a sense of closure to his family and loved ones, shedding light on the tragic fate of the Singaporean couple swept away by the forces of nature during that fateful earthquake in Taiwan.
