TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A family of five driving in the mountains of Kaohsiung died after a landslide caused by torrential rains on Wednesday night.
At 9:40 p.m. Wednesday evening, a vehicle on Provincial Highway 20 in Kaohsiung was seen plunging into a ravine. The vehicle was driven by a 33-year-old man surnamed Li (李), who was accompanied by four members of his family, reported CNA.
In addition to Li, his 37-year-old wife, surnamed Wu (吳), two young children, and a 17-year-old girl were also in the vehicle. The family reportedly lived in Kaohsiung’s Taoyuan District.
An oncoming driver reportedly saw the tragedy unfold. UDN reported that Li climbed out of the vehicle as it was sliding down the mountainside and called for other motorists to help before rushing back down the hillside into the darkness to help his family.
A search party was dispatched that night, but due to darkness and heavy rain they could not find the car or any members of the missing family. The landslide and depth of the ravine have complicated efforts to recover the family. During the plunge down the steep ravine, the vehicle broke into pieces.
On Thursday morning, a rescue party of 74 people were sent to search for the missing family and used a drone to scan the riverbank, reported UDN. With aerial imaging, the party discovered the bumper and one tire in the mud about 150 meters below the roadway. Nearby, officials found the remains of the teenager and one of the children.
As of Friday, the search for the other missing people was still ongoing.
