KINMEN (TVBS News) — Family members of four Chinese fishermen, two injured and two killed when their speedboat capsized in Kinmen waters during the Lunar New Year holiday, arrived on the island Tuesday (Feb. 20) to manage the aftermath.
Accompanied by representatives from the Red Cross in China's Quanzhou City, they arrived early Tuesday at Kinmen's Shuitou Pier and proceeded to the mortuary services office.
The families of the late Chinese fishermen plan to leave Kinmen after their bodies are entombed tomorrow morning.
Explaining the role of the Red Cross, Kuomintang (KMT) legislator Jessica Chen said, "This civil organization has long played a vital role in cross-strait humanitarian aid. Hence, it is a suitable organization for the situation."
Meanwhile, Taiwan Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling reassured in an interview that the deceased were well taken care of, stating, "They changed into new clothes yesterday, and we took their families to pay respects to them."
Cross-strait tensions escalated after a Chinese speedboat carrying four people intruded into Kinmen waters for fishing on Feb. 14. As the Taiwan Coast Guard Administration attempted to disperse the boat, it capsized, resulting in two fatalities.