Taiwan earthquake: Remains found identified as Singaporean man

The remains of a Singaporean man who died after an earthquake hit Taiwan's Hualien county last April have been found.

47-year-old Sim Hwee Kok's remains were discovered on Jan 11 by a farmer, reported Taiwanese news outlet China Times.

The farmer had been attending to crops along the Shakadang Trail in Taroko National Park when he noticed something that resembled human remains and alerted the police.

Forensic experts identified a human hip bone after examining the remains and subsequent DNA testing confirmed that the remains belonged to Sim.

The police also conducted additional searches in the area but were unable to find more remains, the China Times reported.

According to Taiwan news, the authorities believe that Sim and his wife Neo Siew Choo were caught in a landslide on the trail during the earthquake, and that falling debris carried Sim's remains down into the ravine.

Following the DNA match with Sim's son, the police contacted the deceased's family to inform them of the discovery.

Last December, Taiwanese authorities issued death certificates for Sim and his wife Neo Siew Choo after search and rescue efforts for the missing Singaporean couple did not yield results.

The pair were last seen alighting a bus near the Shakadang Trail on April 3, 2024, about 40 minutes before a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Hualien. 

The earthquake, Taiwan's largest in 25 years, left over 1,000 injured and at least 18 dead.

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dana.leong@asiaone.com