TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Media reports on Tuesday (April 1) confirmed the death of a Taiwanese woman who had been trapped in a collapsed hotel in Myanmar, marking her as the only known Taiwanese fatality in the devastating earthquake that struck the Southeast Asian nation. The somber news came as Myanmar observed a one-minute silence across the country to honor the growing number of victims claimed by the disaster, a gesture of national mourning that underscored the earthquake's profound impact.
A devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar last Friday, unleashing widespread destruction across the region and causing particularly severe damage in Mandalay, the nation's culturally rich second-largest city. Among the structures that succumbed to the powerful tremors was the Great Wall Hotel (長城飯店), a building that completely collapsed, trapping numerous people including a Taiwanese couple identified as Mr. and Mrs. Lin (林氏夫妻). While Mr. Lin managed to escape the crumbling structure with only minor injuries during the initial collapse, his wife remained trapped beneath the concrete and steel debris, her fate unknown until the grim confirmation yesterday.
Myanmar Taiwan Business Association Secretary-General Lo Chen-hua (羅振華) confirmed the tragic outcome on Monday, stating that rescue teams had thoroughly searched the hotel ruins but found no signs of life at the site where Mrs. Lin was last known to be. Speaking to reporters, Lo provided details on the repatriation process, noting that the woman's remains would be transported to the Yunnan Guild Hall in Mandalay for a traditional farewell ceremony organized by the local Taiwanese community. Following the ceremony, her body will be cremated according to family wishes before her ashes are returned to Taiwan, where relatives await.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) pinpointed the quake's epicenter 16 kilometers northwest of Sagaing, at a relatively shallow depth of just 10 kilometers, a factor that significantly amplified the seismic waves' destructive power throughout the region. The earthquake's intensity was such that neighboring countries, including China and Thailand, also felt substantial tremors, though they reported minimal damage. As rescue efforts enter their fifth day, the death toll has climbed beyond 2,000 victims, with local authorities acknowledging that hopes of finding additional survivors amid the vast fields of rubble are rapidly diminishing with each passing hour.
