Search for Australian couple killed in Taiwan earthquake halted

The families of the two Australians have called for the search for their bodies to be halted as seismologists warn about a swarm of intensifying aftershocks on Taiwan’s east coast.

Issac Sim Hwee Kok and Ann Neo Siew Choo.

The families of two Australians killed in Taiwan’s worst earthquake in 25 years have called for the search for their bodies to be halted indefinitely as seismologists warn about a “disquieting” pattern of aftershocks on the ­island’s east coast.

Issac Sim Hwee Kok and Ann Neo Siew Choo, a Singaporean Australian couple, were visiting the Taroko National Park on April 3 when the 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck.

In a statement released by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the family said they had asked for the search to be paused on Friday April 12, when it became dangerous for the rescue teams to operate.

An intensifying wave of aftershocks this week has further elevated concerns. Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration on Tuesday warned they could continue for a year.

The families said they “dearly want them to be found but cannot allow this to be at the risk of someone else’s life”.

They thanked the Taiwanese rescue team for their “dedication and tireless efforts in the search for our family”, along with the support of Australian and Singaporean officials in Taipei.

“The events have made us deeply appreciate the preciousness of life,” the family said. “We ask that they resume the search and rescue operation once it is safe to do so. However we also ask that they do so by always putting their own safety first,” they said.

A rescuer in Hualien searching for earthquake victims. Picture: AFP

 The April 3 earthquake killed 17 people, most of whom were on trails in the scenic mountains around Hualien, on Taiwan’s east coast. The bodies of all the victims have been recovered except for the Australian couple.

Two aftershocks on Tuesday had a magnitude over 6, with a dozen above magnitude 5. More “disquieting” was the rising severity of the shocks, according to seismologists Judith Hubbard and Kyle Bradley, who have called Taiwan “the geological equivalent of a car crash at a busy intersection at highway speeds”.

“Could the current swarm of seismicity indicate elevated hazard on the faults to the south, which did not rupture on April 3? We think the answer is probably yes,” the experts wrote on Earthquake Insights.

In a briefing on Tuesday after the latest tremors, Taiwan’s Seismological Centre director Wu Chien-fu said the agency was not ruling out another large earthquake, although he said it was unlikely to be over magnitude 7.

The Full Hotel building in Hualien, which had been previously damaged in the April 3 earthquake, tilting further to one side after a series of earthquakes this week. Picture: AFP

Hualien, home to about 100,000 people, has been further damaged this week, as roads cracked and another four buildings partially collapsed. Many locals say they are increasingly worried about their houses.

The area is home of some of Taiwan’s most famous scenery, including the Taroko Gorge.

In their statement, the family of the Australian victims thanked the area’s emergency officials and noted the damage on the tourist-dependent local community.

“We hope that Hualien will be rebuilt as soon as possible so more people can experience the beauty of the place and the warmth of its people,” the family said.