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24 Dec 2024 10:51PM (Updated: 24 Dec 2024 10:52PM)
Taiwan authorities have issued death certificates for two Singaporeans who went missing more than eight months ago after a massive earthquake hit Hualien county.
According to Taiwanese media reports, the Hualien District Court said the couple should be presumed dead as they still have not been found.
The certificates for Mr Sim Hwee Kok and Ms Neo Siew Choo state the time of death as noon on Apr 3, the same day the massive 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck the island – its strongest in 25 years.
The couple was last seen alighting from a shuttle bus at the Shakadang Trail in eastern Hualien county at about 7.20am, about 40 minutes before the quake struck.
A Taiwan News report said the relatives of Mr Sim and Ms Neo still hope the search for their bodies could resume.
The quake triggered landslides that blocked roads and severely damaged buildings around the main Hualien city. The incident was followed by more than 1,100 aftershocks.
More than 1,000 people were injured in the quake, with at least 18 deaths.