The Formosa Fun Coast (八仙海岸) disaster on Saturday night claimed its first fatality yesterday as a badly burned 20-year-old woman was taken off life support at Chung Shan Medical University Hospital in Taichung.
Lee Pei-yun (李珮筠), who had just graduated from National Taichung Home Economics and Commercial High School on June 10, suffered second-degree burns over 90 percent of her body.
She was removed from life support with her parents’ consent yesterday afternoon, hospital public relations officer Hsieh Ching-lang (謝金琅) said.
Photo: Tsai Shu-yuan, Taipei Times
She had been transferred from Cathay General Hospital’s Sijhih Branch in New Taipei City to Chung Shan and put on life support, Hsieh said.
Her 12-year-old brother, a recent elementary-school graduate whose name the Taipei Times is not publishing because he is a minor, suffered burns to 80 percent of his body.
He had also been treated initially at the Sijhih hospital, but yesterday was tranferred to Taipei Veterans General Hospital.
Photo taken from Facebook
“I’ve lost my daughter, please, please help save my son,” their distraught mother cried outside the Taipei hospital.
The sister and brother were reportedly standing close to the stage at the water park in New Taipei City’s Bali District (八里) when the fire erupted at about 8:30pm on Saturday.
Their father, Lee Ming-chi (李明基), an oil vendor, wrote on Facebook: “They are my sweethearts. Please, Buddha, I kneel before you. Do not take them away.”
Photo taken from Facebook
A person who identified themself as a friend of Lee Ming-chi quoted him on Facebook as saying: “I express my heartfelt gratitude for everybody’s support. I really appreciate our friends’ help. Little sister has just gone. Pei-yun is now a little angel and will not feel the pain anymore. Remember to look for Dad and Mom in your next life.”
The family said that Lee Pei-yun had been looking forward to the Color Play Asia party for months and shared event information online early last month, writing that she would “eat the flour [colored powder] fanatically.”
The siblings were very close, the family said.
Lee Pei-yun had posted many photographs of them together on Facebook and ahead of Saturday’s party she posted: “[We] are going to the party and [I] feel relaxed.”
Taichung Mayor Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said the city government would help the Lee family arrange Lee Pei-yun’s funeral and obtain assistance from social workers and compensation from those who are responsible for the incident.
Lin announced Lee Pei-yun’s death on Facebook and telephoned the family to express his condolences.
He also urged the public to pray for all those injured in the fire.
The mayor said that he had ordered the city government to review safety regulations, redouble safety inspections of popular venues and large events, inventory its medical resources and reinforce its emergency response mechanism.
National Taichung Home Economics and Commercial High School officials said Lee Pei-yun had majored in food management and graduated third in her class, adding that she was a talented student and popular with her peers.
She had posted a celebratory message on Facebook on her graduation day: “I have waited for five years. Five years. Finally.”
The Taipei City Government yesterday announced a new total — 494 — of the number of people injured in the fire, which appears to have erupted when colored powder exploded during a stage show.
As of 6pm yesterday, 439 remained hospitalized in 48 hospitals, including 211 in intensive care, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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