A heartbreaking tragedy shook Kaohsiung’s Taoyuan District in Taiwan on 30 July when a car carrying a family of five plunged nine metres into a ravine after the road gave way during heavy rain.
The only survivor was the 14-year-old son, who had stayed home to care for his grandfather and consequently avoided the ill-fated trip.
The incident happened along the mountainous stretch of Provincial Highway 20, also known as the South Cross-Island Highway.
A 33-year-old man surnamed Li, his 37-year-old wife Wu, and their three children — including a 17-year-old daughter, a three-year-old son, and a one-month-old baby girl — were on their way down the mountain when the roadbed, weakened by days of downpours, suddenly collapsed beneath them, according to Taiwan’s news outlet FTV News.
Source: EBC News
Their vehicle fell into the ravine and vanished into the darkness.
Due to poor visibility and treacherous terrain, authorities dispatched 16 vehicles and 31 rescue personnel.
Later, they recovered the body of the 17-year-old daughter, along with a severed foot and partial remains of a pelvic bone.
However, due to the condition of the remains, authorities have not yet been able to determine whose they are.
Source: EBC News
The search continued for the other victims who are still missing.
The family is survived by their 14-year-old son, who had stayed home that evening because there were not enough seats in the car.
He had volunteered to stay behind to keep his grandfather company.
Upon hearing the news, the boy sat in silence all day, trembling and murmuring: “Mama lied to me, saying she was going down the mountain to buy things. Why hasn’t she come back yet?”
He is now under the care of his aunt.
Reports suggest that after the incident, Mr Li managed to crawl out of the crashed vehicle.
According to Taiwan’s EBC News, he climbed up the slope three times to seek help.
Source: EBC News
First, he waved down a passing driver and asked them to use their headlights to illuminate the crash site.
Second, he found rescuers and pleaded for them to save his children, who were still trapped inside.
On his third attempt, the car suddenly slipped further into the ravine.
Seeing his family still inside, Mr Li jumped back down in a final, desperate attempt to rescue them, but the raging waters swept him away.
Councillor Kao, a relative of the family, revealed that the Li family was a low-income household.
Mr Li worked in construction, while Ms Wu took on odd jobs to make ends meet.
Recently, their 17-year-old daughter had undergone surgery following a motorcycle accident.
The fateful trip down the mountain was meant for her follow-up appointment and their newborn’s check-up.
Mr Kao is now appealing to the public and government agencies to support the 14-year-old boy’s education and recovery, ETtoday reported.
He criticised the lack of road closure signs despite the roadbed collapsing two hours before the accident, hoping the tragedy would spark stricter safety measures for roads in mountainous areas.
Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai has since offered his condolences in person, as well as financial aid.
Source: ETtoday
He assured that they could contact the local village chief for any future needs and said the Education Bureau would help with the boy’s schooling.
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Featured image adapted from EBC News and EBC News.