More than NT$600 million (US$19.87 million) has been pledged by companies and individuals to date to help with post-disaster efforts after the explosions in Greater Kaohsiung late on Thursday night and early on Friday morning that left at least 28 dead and injured more than 280.
In addition to the Greater Kaohsiung Government, cities and counties across the nation have established fund transfer accounts with the post office or banks to receive donations to be forwarded to Kaohsiung authorities.
Government-funded organizations, private foundations and enterprises as well as celebrities have also made contributions.
Photo: Chang Chung-yi, Taipei Times
Among them is Chinatrust Charity Foundation chairman Jeffery Koo Jr (辜仲諒), who yesterday donated NT$10 million from his own pocket, after the Chinatrust Financial Holding Co made a donation of the same amount on Friday.
Everlight Electronics Co chairman Robert Yeh (葉寅夫) donated NT$12 million, saying he is deeply pained by the casualty reports.
Actress Lin Chih-ling (林志玲) and popular band Mayday donated NT$2 million and NT$15 million respectively.
Professional baseball player Peng Cheng-min (彭政閔), whose family lives near where the explosions happened, donated NT$30,000, the amount he received in prize money from this year’s Chinese Professional Baseball League All Star game and being named the “most popular player” by the league.
Foundation of Medical Professionals Alliance Taiwan yesterday launched a fundraiser for the disaster relief effort.
Alliance chairman Wu Shu-min (吳樹民) said the medical group donated toward the relief effort after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and it would do the same for the Kaohsiung catastrophe.
Alliance chief executive officer Lin Shih-chia (林世嘉) said all the money raised would go toward the relief effort for the Kaohsiung explosion and be used for attorney fees when families of the people killed press charges against parties responsible for their losses.
She called on the public to make donations by using the alliance’s account at Taiwan Cooperative Bank: (006)1346-717-03249. Donations can be made via wire transfer or credit card.
For more information, people can visit the alliance’s Chinese-language Web page at www.mpat.org.tw/pub/Events.asp?ctyp=EVENT&catid=3849&ctxid=32106.
Additional reporting by Chang Wen-chuan
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