Woman dies after returning to save pet cat following Taiwan earthquake
A woman in Taiwan was crushed to death in her attempt to save her pet cat after the 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck on Wednesday (3 April).
The 33-year-old was found dead under the uprooted Uranus building on Xuanyuan Road in Hualien, Focus Taiwan reported.
Source: Focus Taiwan
24 other individuals were rescued from the collapsed structure.
Aftershock caused woman to be trapped under building’s column
SET News reported that the deceased, surnamed Kang, initially escaped the earthquake unscathed.
Despite this, she informed her neighbours that she was returning to the building to rescue her cat.
Just as she entered the block through a side door, an aftershock hit and she went missing.
Firefighters subsequently discovered her body trapped under a column and pronounced her dead at the scene.
Ms Kang was reportedly an agricultural teacher at a senior high school.
Source: Shin Min Daily News on Facebook
“We advised her not to go in, but she went anyway,” the Uranus building chairperson commented in an interview with TVBS News. “The outcome is deeply painful.”
Uranus building is one of several that was struck
According to Reuters, Deputy Acting Chief of Hualien Fire Department, Lee Lung-Sheng, noted that the Uranus building is “a very badly damaged place”.
“It is a building with one basement level and nine floors above ground,” he said. “The first and second floors are now underground.”
Out of those who were rescued from the building, four needed to be hospitalised.
The structure, which did not have ground-floor front pillars, is set to be demolished.
Following the quake, Taiwan was rocked by over 360 aftershocks.
Apart from the Uranus building, Hualien saw other collapsed structures, including a tilted five-storey family home on Beibin Street.
Vehicles were trapped under the building’s collapsed shelter.
The death toll as a result of the quake has risen to at least 10, with many others still missing, stranded or trapped.
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News on Facebook and Focus Taiwan.
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