Lai Chun-ju (賴俊儒), 33, a firefighter who died in a factory fire in Pingtung County on Friday evening, had planned a honeymoon for next month with his new wife, his mother said, who lamented the death of her son.
Lai’s mother, who rushed to the hospital with Lai’s father and their son’s British wife soon after being informed the firefighter was seriously injured in the fire, said she was always proud of her son.
Several of Lai’s friends and relatives left messages on the deceased firefighter’s Facebook page, with one saying: “I wish it was not true.”
Photo: Lee Hui-chou, Taipei Times
Another one said: “The mission is done. Rest in Peace.” A third called Lai a “dauntless hero.”
The fire has killed four firefighters, with more than 90 people injured as of 4:40pm yesterday. The cause of the fire and subsequent explosions remains under investigation.
Pingtung County Commissioner Chou Chun-mi (周春米) on Friday night sent her condolences to the family members of the victims, promising she would do her best to help the families to take care of funeral affairs.
Lai’s father, who used to be a firefighter as well, said it was not anyone’s fault, but added it was all destined.
A second deceased firefighter, Chung Chi-yuan (鍾吉垣), 38, was married with one daughter, Chung’s father said.
Chung’s father said his son had followed in the steps of his uncle to become a firefighter as he liked to go on missions to rescue people.
The father said that he became uneasy after learning that his son had rushed to the deadly fire. When he got a phone call from Chung’s superior about what happened to his son at about 1am yesterday, he was heartbroken.
A third dead firefighter was Chen Po-han (陳柏翰), 32. Huang Chi-feng (黃基峰), an official with the county’s Bureau of Fire and Emergency Services, who used to be a fireman, said Chen was raised in a single-parent household and was filial to his mother. It was out of wanting to take care of his mother that he requested a transfer from the Keelung Fire Department to the Pingtung County Fire Bureau.
Su Yuan-yung (蘇元庸) from the fire department in Keelung, who used to work with Chen in Keelung, added that Chen had used his savings to take his mother to Europe for a vacation.
The fourth firefighter was Shih Pao-hsiung (施寶翔), 37. Huang said Shih was always caring toward his colleagues.
Shih’s wife said their six-year-old and four-year-old children had close bonds with their father, and at the first instance when Shih was reported missing on Friday evening, she did not dare to let the children know.
As yesterday was a make-up school day for the children, she added she also did not wish to break the sad news that their father had died to them before they headed off to school.
Additional reporting by Yeh Yung-chien and Huang Chia-lin
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