February 26, 2018, 19 days after the magnitude 6.5 earthquake in Hualien, the bodies of the last two mainland tourists were transferred out of the ruins of the collapsed Yunmen Cuidi Building at around 14:00 p.m. yesterday.
Xinhua News Agency Photo
Hualian County Fire Bureau Director Lin Wenrui said in an interview that the two victims were an elderly couple, and their bodies were suppressed by beams, walls, etc. In order to avoid damage to the body, the search and rescue team carefully carried out the body out of the disaster site. He prayed that "the two of them can return to their hometown as soon as possible."
html At 23:50 on February 6, a magnitude 6.5 earthquake occurred in Hualien, killing 17 people, of which 9 were mainland tourists. During the search and rescue carried out after the earthquake, the bodies of two mainland tourists were trapped in the ruins of the Yunmen Cuidi Building and were difficult to transport them out. With the consent of the family, the Hualien County Government began to "peel onion-style" demolition of the building on the 11th to reduce the pressure on the ground floor and transport the body out.After day and night construction, on the morning of the 25th, the search and rescue personnel began to use small excavation equipment to clean up the surrounding area. Then, the Hualien County Special Search Team personnel pushed the soil and rocks with their bare hands, and finally successfully removed the body.
Hualien County Mayor Fu Kunqi said at a press conference held on the same day that the body was sent to the funeral home, and Hualien County has notified the family to deal with the aftermath.
According to reports, the families of the two victims will arrive in Hualien on the 26th.
Fu Kunqi said that this is the worst earthquake in Hualien in 67 years, with heavy casualties and losses. Thanks to kind-hearted people from all walks of life for their support to Hualien, Hualien will actively launch post-disaster recovery and reconstruction work.
Source: Beijing Evening News
