Singaporean couple missing in quake-hit Taiwan last seen at Hualien bus station
The married couple, identified as Sim Hwee Kok and Neo Siew Choo, are among 10 people still missing in the aftermath of the quake.
Singaporeans Sim Hwee Kok and Neo Siew Choo went missing after an earthquake struck Taiwan on Apr 3, 2024. They were last seen in CCTV footage preparing to board a bus heading to Taroko National Park about two hours before the quake struck. (Images: Facebook/Sunny Sandro Wang, Taiwan Foreign Affairs Police)
said to be on their way to Tianxiang in Hualian County when the quake struck on Apr 3, 2024. (Photos: Facebook/Sunny Sandro Wang, AP/Chiang Ying-ying)
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SINGAPORE: The two Singaporeans missing after Taiwan's magnitude 7.2 earthquake on Wednesday were last seen at a bus station in Hualien, preparing to board a shuttle bus heading to Taroko National Park.
Taiwan’s immigration agency said that the missing pair are a married couple.
They have been identified as Sim Hwee Kok and Neo Siew Choo, according to a Facebook group named Hualien Earthquake Relief Information.
CCTV footage provided by Taiwan's Foreign Affairs Police Service on Saturday (Apr 6) showed the couple standing in line at a bus station in Hualien City at about 6.30am on Wednesday, about two hours before the quake struck.Â
The bus was heading to Taroko National Park but the couple alighted before the journey ended at the terminal station, said Taiwan’s Emergency Response Unit.
Authorities said the bus driver was safe but he could not remember where the Singaporean couple had alighted.
The administrator of the Facebook group, Sunny Sandro Wang, said on Saturday that he had managed to contact the missing man's sister and appealed for more information on where the couple were last seen.Â
"If you ever see them somewhere, please let us know when and where as soon as possible," Wang added, as he shared a photo of the husband and wife.
Hundreds remain stranded at Taroko National Park, famed for its rugged mountainous terrain, as landslides have blocked tunnels and cut off road access.
Rescuers are trying to airlift people to safety, although efforts have been hampered by aftershocks.
Hualien has been roiled by more than 600 aftershocks, including one of magnitude 5.2 on Saturday morning.
The Singaporean couple are among 10 people still missing in the aftermath of the quake - the strongest to hit Taiwan in 25 years.
At least 12 people have been killed and more than 1,100 others injured.
It was reported on Thursday that eight Singaporeans were among 71 foreigners rescued after they were trapped in Hualien.
Two of them suffered light injuries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Friday, adding that the ministry has contacted all e-registered Singaporeans in the regions affected by the earthquake.
“Our Trade Office in Taipei continues to be in close touch with the Taiwanese authorities as rescue and relief efforts continue,” MFA said.
“We express our appreciation to the Taiwanese authorities for the quick assistance and support they have extended.”
Additional reporting by Victoria Jen.
