President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday led a national memorial service in Kaohsiung — the area worst hit by Typhoon Morakot — to mourn the dead following the nation's worst flooding in 50 years.
As of yesterday, the number of confirmed fatalities had reached 614, with 75 still listed as missing or presumed dead. The Web site of the National Disaster Prevention and Protection Commission showed that Kaohsiung bore the brunt with 488 fatalities, followed by Pingtung with 27 and Tainan with 25.
The service began with an 88-second silent tribute to signify the date when the disaster struck, Aug. 8, Father's Day.
Wearing a yellow ribbon on his black suit, Ma placed a wreath before speaking to 15,000 people at the Kaohsiung Arena. Other government officials attending the service included Vice President Vincent Siew (蕭萬長), the heads of the five branches of government, Democratic Progressive Party Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), survivors and families of the victims, as well as local chiefs.
Describing his state of mind as “distressed,” Ma said he blamed himself and felt as if he had lost loved ones. Ma prayed that the dead might rest in peace and promised the government would help the nation rise from the rubble in a swift manner.
Ma said the hundreds of lives lost in the disaster were the result of flash floods and mudslides, triggered by torrential rains unprecedented in a century. He said he realized that no compensation or consolation could ease the pain of losing loved ones.
Despite the public uproar over the administration's slow and disorganized response to the disaster, Ma yesterday praised the armed forces for their “humanitarian spirit,” as well as law enforcement officers, firefighters, temples, churches, volunteers and humanitarian groups.
Ma paid special tribute to the seven people who lost their lives in the line of duty, saying their courage and selfless contributions would forever be embedded in public memory.
The ashes of the seven have been placed in the Martyrs' Shrines of their hometowns.
The seven are: Wang Tsung-li (王宗立), Chang Shun-fa (張順發) and Huang Mei-chih (黃鎂智) — the three crew members who were killed when their UH-1H helicopter crashed in Yila Valley in Wutai Township (霧台), Pingtung County, during relief operations; Miao Jung-tang (繆榮堂), village warden of Yunlin's Kouhu Township (口湖), who fell to his death after braving the heavy rain and strong winds to close a water gate to prevent the river from flooding his village; volunteer firefighter Chang Jui-hsien (張瑞賢) of Nantou County, who was washed away by flash floods when his rescue boat capsized during relief operations; and law enforcement officers, Hsu Chin-tsu (許金次) and Chiang Wen-hsiang (江文祥), of Taitung County's Taimali Township (太麻里), who were washed away by flash floods when they were trying to rescue villagers.
Ma promised to examine the cause of the disaster, make improvements and take responsibily, adding that the legislature had passed the Post-Typhoon Morakot Reconstruction Special Act (莫拉克颱風災後重建特別條例) and approved the Cabinet's budget request of NT$120 billion (US$3.6 billion) for the reconstruction.
The Executive Yuan has also established a reconstruction committee, Ma said, adding that the reconstruction project has had a stable start, although there was still a long way to go.
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