The Kaohsiung District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday said it is waiting for the results of DNA tests to verify whether the two bodies discovered on Saturday night during culvert dredging at the site of the gas pipeline explosions in Greater Kaohsiung — conducted in preparation for the Tropical Storm Fong-Wong — were those of Greater Kaohsiung Government Fire Department Secretary-General Lin Chi-tse (林基澤) and section head Liu Yao-wen (劉耀文).
Lin and Liu were reported missing after the explosions that shook Greater Kaohsiung on July 31 and Aug. 1.
Lin and Liu were scouting the intersection of Kaisyuan and Ersheng roads, just seconds before a blast took place.
Photo: Hung Ting-hung, Taipei Times
Greater Kaohsiung Fire Bureau Director Chen Hung-lung (陳虹龍) yesterday said the pair were believed to be standing on an uncharted culvert, when escaping propene is thought to have triggered the pipeline explosions and hurled them into the drains.
Judging from the bodies, the two might have been pinned down by falling debris from their waists up, with their legs overlapping, he added.
The bodies were found just outside the culvert.
According to Chen, Kaisyuan Road was flooded with rainwater shortly after the blasts, which prevented rescue dogs from locating the missing men. Since the uncharted culvert is to be investigated by the authorities working to determine responsibility for the accident, excavation has been limited to sifting gravel to prevent the culvert from being damaged.
It was not until dredging was ordered on Saturday in preparation for the approach of Fung-Wong that the bodies were finally discovered, he said.
District prosecutors and forensic investigators yesterday morning identified the bodies as the missing firefighters from testimonials by family members, as well as the watches, uniforms, and transceivers found on the scene, but a request for DNA tests filed with the prosecutors’ office is still yet to be delivered. The results of the postmortem will be announced within days, the office said.
A female worker surnamed Lin (林), who came across Liu’s body, said she dug out a leg wrapped in a firefighter’s uniform and was initially terrified.
“I told myself not to panic, that I would bring good karma upon myself for the good deed,” she said.
The other body, thought to be Lin Chi-tse’s, had a watch around the wrist bone, which was not destroyed by the explosions because it was buried under debris.
Lin Chi-tse’s daughter yesterday confirmed that the watch belonged to her father.
Meanwhile, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) in a Facebook post yesterday said: “Two bodies were found on the reconstruction site and have been identified as Kaohsiung City Government Fire Department Secretary-General Lin Chi-tse and section head Liu Yao-wen. We hope that the discovery will provide some comfort to their family members. May their valiant souls protect Greater Kaohsiung in this stormy night.”
Additional reporting by Huang Chia-lin
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,912) for advertisements that exceed its approved business scope, requiring the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license may be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter enforcement of Chinese e-commerce platforms and measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan in response to US President Donald Trump’s heavy tariffs on China. The Legislative Yuan’s Finance Committee met today to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文) said
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,900) for advertisements that exceeded its approved business scope and ordered the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license would be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter supervision of Chinese e-commerce platforms and more stringent measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan as US President Donald Trump’s administration cracks down on origin laundering. The legislature’s Finance Committee yesterday met to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report on the matter. Democratic Progressive Party
Taiwan and its Pacific ally Tuvalu on Tuesday signed two accords aimed at facilitating bilateral cooperation on labor affairs, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). The governments inked two agreements in Taipei, witnessed by Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and visiting Deputy Tuvaluan Prime Minister Panapasi Nelesone, MOFA said in a news release. According to MOFA, the agreements will facilitate cooperation on labor issues and allow the two sides to mutually recognize seafarers’ certificates and related training. Taiwan would also continue to collaborate with Tuvalu across various fields to promote economic prosperity as well as the well-being of their
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), who led efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), was released on bail of NT$80,000 today amid outcry over his decision to wear a Nazi armband to questioning the night before. Sung arrived at the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office for questioning in a recall petition forgery case last night wearing a red armband bearing a swastika, carrying a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf and giving a Nazi salute. Sung left the building at 1:15am without the armband and covering the book with his coat. Lee said today that this is a serious
RSS