Japan, the UK, the EU, Singapore and China have expressed their condolences to the families of the people killed by gas explosions that ripped through a neighborhood in Greater Kaohsiung on Thursday night, causing at least 28 deaths and leaving at least 286 people injured.
Japan’s representative to Taiwan Mikio Numata sent letters of condolence on Friday to President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lin (林永樂) and Association of East Asian Relations Chairman Lee Chia-chin (李嘉進)
Speaking on behalf of Japan’s Interchange Association, Numata said that he was “deeply saddened” to learn of the blasts in Kaohsiung that killed many people, including firefighters, and offered his deepest sympathy to the families of those who lost their lives.
Photo: AFP
The European Economic and Trade Office in Taipei, on behalf of the EU, also expressed its sincere condolences to the families, the office said on Facebook.
“Our thoughts are with the people of Kaohsiung and we wish prompt recovery to the injured,” the post read.
The Taipei-based British Trade and Cultural Office said in a statement on Friday that it was saddened to learn of the gas explosions that caused heavy loss of life and many injuries.
The Singapore Trade Office in Taipei on Friday also issued a statement extending “deepest condolences.”
Meanwhile, sources said China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits Chairman Chen Deming (陳德銘) called Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman Lin Join-sane (林中森).
Chen conveyed China’s sympathy for those affected by the incident, adding that China is willing to provide assistance if it is needed, the sources said.
US climber Alex Honnold is to attempt to scale Taipei 101 without a rope and harness in a live Netflix special on Jan. 24, the streaming platform announced on Wednesday. Accounting for the time difference, the two-hour broadcast of Honnold’s climb, called Skyscraper Live, is to air on Jan. 23 in the US, Netflix said in a statement. Honnold, 40, was the first person ever to free solo climb the 900m El Capitan rock formation in Yosemite National Park — a feat that was recorded and later made into the 2018 documentary film Free Solo. Netflix previewed Skyscraper Live in October, after videos
NUMBERS IMBALANCE: More than 4 million Taiwanese have visited China this year, while only about half a million Chinese have visited here Beijing has yet to respond to Taiwan’s requests for negotiation over matters related to the recovery of cross-strait tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. Taiwan’s tourism authority issued the statement after Chinese-language daily the China Times reported yesterday that the government’s policy of banning group tours to China does not stop Taiwanese from visiting the country. As of October, more than 4.2 million had traveled to China this year, exceeding last year. Beijing estimated the number of Taiwanese tourists in China could reach 4.5 million this year. By contrast, only 500,000 Chinese tourists are expected in Taiwan, the report said. The report
Temperatures are forecast to drop steadily as a continental cold air mass moves across Taiwan, with some areas also likely to see heavy rainfall, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. From today through early tomorrow, a cold air mass would keep temperatures low across central and northern Taiwan, and the eastern half of Taiwan proper, with isolated brief showers forecast along Keelung’s north coast, Taipei and New Taipei City’s mountainous areas and eastern Taiwan, it said. Lows of 11°C to 15°C are forecast in central and northern Taiwan, Yilan County, and the outlying Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties, and 14°C to 17°C
STEERING FAILURE: The first boat of its class is experiencing teething issues as it readies for acceptance by the navy, according to a recent story about rudder failure The Hai Kun (海鯤), the nation’s first locally built submarine, allegedly suffered a total failure of stern hydraulic systems during the second round of sea acceptance trials on June 26, and sailors were forced to manually operate the X-rudder to turn the submarine and return to port, news Web site Mirror Daily reported yesterday. The report said that tugboats following the Hai Kun assisted the submarine in avoiding collisions with other ships due to the X-rudder malfunctioning. At the time of the report, the submarine had completed its trials and was scheduled to begin diving and surfacing tests in shallow areas. The X-rudder,
RSS