Family members, friends and colleagues yesterday mourned and paid tribute to the 48 people killed in the crash of a TransAsia Airways (復興航空) plane on Penghu on Wednesday evening.
The Ministry of Culture’s Bureau of Cultural Heritage confirmed that 82-year-old Yeh Ken-chuang (葉根壯), a carpenter and master of traditional Taiwanese architecture, was among those who died when Flight GE222 crashed into Sisi Village (西溪) while making a second approach to Magong Airport.
Yeh was certified in 2010 as a preserver of timber framing (or “big woodworking”) techniques by the Penghu County Government and was due to be named as a “living national treasure” candidate at a meeting scheduled for Tuesday, bureau head Shy Gwo-long (施國隆) said.
Photo: Sam Yeh, AFP
Known as “Master Chuang” among other carpenters, Yeh specialized in designing and constructing large traditional wooden architecture such as temples, but was also skilled in wood carving and decoration. His works include Wang An Wu Fu Temple and Long Men Kuanyin Temple in Penghu.
Minister of Culture Lung Yin-tai (龍應台) said the ministry was shocked by the loss of Yeh and the bureau would contact his family and offer it full assistance.
The bureau has also been told to help preserve Yeh’s records on timber-framing techniques, Lung said.
A 47-year-old Penghu firefighter, Lee Ming-tsun (李明村), was also among the victims.
His body was discovered in the wreckage by some colleagues, who shouted: “He is my brother,” Penghu County Fire Bureau Chief Hong Yung-peng (洪永澎) said.
The firefighters were “shocked and saddened” by the discovery, he said.
Lee was a leader of the Kaohsiung Harbor Fire Brigade’s division in Penghu’s Magong Harbor. He was returning to Penghu after a holiday.
Lee served with the brigade in Greater Kaohsiung for 20 years. He was reassigned to Magong more than two years ago and was said to get along well with his colleagues.
Another returning Penghu resident who died in the crash was military police officer Tsai Min-hua (蔡民華). Tsai had been on vacation on Taiwan proper, but had been recalled to Penghu to be on duty for Typhoon Matmo.
Also among the victims were four members of a Greater Kaohsiung family.
Yen Kuang-chien (顏光健), his wife, Hsu Wen-ching (許文卿), and their daughter and son were traveling to Penghu to visit their parents and bring them back to Greater Kaohsiung to stay with the children during their summer vacation, neighbors said.
Another victim, Chen Cheng-lung (陳正龍), died after taking the day off to accompany his father to a funeral in Penghu.
Greater Kaohsiung Environmental Protection Bureau Deputy Director Chen Chu-feng (陳居豐) said Chen Cheng-lung had worked for him as a driver for almost five years and was a pragmatic and kind person.
One of the flight attendants killed in the crash, 24-year-old Wu Tsi-ying (吳姿瑩), had just joined the company seven months ago.
Wu reportedly posted a message online before the flight took off that read: “It is scary in Kaohsiung now because of strong wind and stormy rain.”
Another flight attendant who died, Kuo Ching-wei (郭晉瑋), had been getting ready to marry his fiancee in South Korea.
Six members of a Penghu family, surnamed Chen, who were aboard the flight were also killed.
More than 750 firefighters, military personnel and government workers were dispatched to the crash site to assist with rescue efforts, Hong said, adding that the heavy rain and darkness on Wednesday night had made rescue work difficult.
Body parts were scattered around the site, he added.
One firefighter said more than 20 bodies that were missing some of their parts had been found near the remains of the plane’s cockpit.
LONG FLIGHT: The jets would be flown by US pilots, with Taiwanese copilots in the two-seat F-16D variant to help familiarize them with the aircraft, the source said The US is expected to fly 10 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 70/72 jets to Taiwan over the coming months to fulfill a long-awaited order of 66 aircraft, a defense official said yesterday. Word that the first batch of the jets would be delivered soon was welcome news to Taiwan, which has become concerned about delays in the delivery of US arms amid rising military tensions with China. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the initial tranche of the nation’s F-16s are rolling off assembly lines in the US and would be flown under their own power to Taiwan by way
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
MISSION: The Indo-Pacific region is ‘the priority theater,’ where the task of deterrence extends across the entire region, including Taiwan, the US Pacific Fleet commander said The US Navy’s “mission of deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific theater applies to Taiwan, Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler told the South China Sea Conference on Tuesday. The conference, organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), is an international platform for senior officials and experts from countries with security interests in the region. “The Pacific Fleet’s mission is to deter aggression across the Western Pacific, together with our allies and partners, and to prevail in combat if necessary, Koehler said in the event’s keynote speech. “That mission of deterrence applies regionwide — including the South China Sea and Taiwan,” he
UNPRECEDENTED: In addition to the approved recall motions, cases such as Ma Wen-chun’s in Nantou are still under review, while others lack enough signatures The Central Election Commission (CEC) announced yesterday that a recall vote would take place on July 26, after it approved the first batch of recall motions targeting 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao (高虹安). Taiwan is in the midst of an unprecedented wave of mass recall campaigns, following a civil society push that echoed a call made by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) in January to initiate signature drives aimed at unseating KMT legislators. Under the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法), Taiwanese can initiate a recall of district-elected lawmakers by collecting