One of the nation’s first conjoined twins to be successfully separated 40 years ago died of a brain hemorrhage yesterday, his family said.
Chang Chung-jen (張忠仁), 42, the older of the two, collapsed at work on Thursday and died early yesterday morning, his family said.
In 1979, Chang and his brother, Chang Chung-i (張忠義), were Taiwan’s first and the world’s fourth conjoined twins to be successfully separated.
Photo: CNA
According to Chang Chung-jen’s most recent post on Facebook, he had been planning to improve his public speaking skills so that he could share his story with more people this year, the 40th anniversary of their separation.
“I will go on living for my brother,” Chang Chung-i said yesterday, adding that they stood in for each other at work and took care of one another all the time.
Chen Wei-jao (陳維昭), who organized the twins’ surgery and was in charge of their postoperative care, said that Chang Chung-jen’s death was unexpected because no anomalies were found in his most recent medical examination.
The twins were expected to live only until their 20s based on the preoperative assessment, but they were able to lead normal lives, Chen said
The doctor said that Chang Chung-jen’s brain hemorrhage might have been caused by physical exhaustion, as he devoted himself to charity and had been traveling for years, sharing his stories and expressing his gratitude to the public, who donated more than NT$7 million (US$227,679 at the current exchange rate) to help raise the brothers.
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
STATS: Taiwan’s average life expectancy of 80.77 years was lower than that of Japan, Singapore and South Korea, but higher than in China, Malaysia and Indonesia Taiwan’s average life expectancy last year increased to 80.77 years, but was still not back to its pre-COVID-19 pandemic peak of 81.32 years in 2020, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. The average life expectancy last year increased the 0.54 years from 2023, the ministry said in a statement. For men and women, the average life expectancy last year was 77.42 years and 84.30 years respectively, up 0.48 years and 0.56 years from the previous year. Taiwan’s average life expectancy peaked at 81.32 years in 2020, as the nation was relatively unaffected by the pandemic that year. The metric
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
Passengers on Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) will be required to use headphones and make phone calls in gangways under new “quiet travel” rules starting Sept. 22. THSR Chairman Shih Che (史哲) told media that THSR will run a three-month promotional campaign to ensure widespread adoption of the new rules. Those repeatedly ignoring the guidance face the potential termination of their transport contract, which can result in them getting escorted off the train, according to THSR. Shih shared his hope to cultivate an environment conducive to rest and reading for the train’s passengers, stating that these changes aim to “promote self-discipline” among passengers