Young Couple Die Hugging During Devastating Taiwan Earthquake
A young couple who died during the devastating Taiwan earthquake on New Year’s Eve were found in each other’s arms by rescuers.
Tsai Meng-chia and his girlfriend Huang Ruo-hsin, both just 21, were found beneath the rubble of a residential building that collapsed during the magnitude 6.4 earthquake on New Year’s Eve.
Reports suggest that Tsai was covering his girlfriend in a desperate act of protection as the 16-storey building collapsed around them.
Protective: The couple died in each other’s arms (CEN)
Discovery: Rescuers found the couple’s bodies in the rubble of a 16-storey building (CEN)
Another 80 people are still thought to be trapped inside.
The pair are now amongst the 55 people confirmed dead from the quake, that struck Taiwan’s south-western Tainan City.
Friends of the couple, who both attended Tainan’s Kun Shan University, said they had a loving relationship.
Devastation: More than 80 people are still thought to be buried under the rubble (CEN)
Fury: Public anger has been targeted at the construction company behind the building (CEN)
Public reaction to the images have been emotive, with people the demanding former contractors of the Weiguan Jinlong building be punished for allegedly using sub-standard material including tin cans during its construction.
Three arrests have been made so far, with authorities detaining the former developer, as well as two executives of the company.
Top pic: CEN
