Kaohsiung prosecutors today said they are seeking formal death declarations for all five people in a vehicle that fell into a gorge last month, after rescuers were only able to recover the remains of two of the passengers.
At about 9:28pm on July 30, a sedan containing five people fell into a river while driving along the Southern Cross-Island Highway in Kaohsiung’s Taoyuan District (桃源), the Ciaotou District Prosecutors’ Office said in a statement.
The riverbed had eroded after days of heavy rainfall, making the passage hazardous, it said.
Photo courtesy of the Kaohsiung Fire Bureau via CNA
Rescuers were only able to recover the remains of the driver surnamed Lee (李) and a young girl surnamed Pan (潘), whose identities were confirmed through DNA testing, prosecutors said.
Autopsy certificates were issued to the families, who may retrieve their remains today, the office said.
The remaining three — the driver’s wife and two children — have not yet been found, it said.
The Kaohsiung Fire Bureau concluded its search on Aug. 12, the office said, adding that it would apply with a court to issue formal death announcements after obtaining the family’s consent.
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