TAIPEI (TVBS News) — A 17-year-old high school student, surnamed Huang (黃), tragically lost his life due to organ failure on Thursday (April 25) after sustaining severe injuries in a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that hit Hualien County on April 3. Huang, a student at Hualien Sun Dance Vocational Senior High School, was studying restaurant management and died around 2 p.m., as confirmed by Yu En-lang (游恩郎), an intern director at the school.
Huang was on his way to the Silks Place Taroko hotel for an internship, part of a cooperative education program, when the earthquake caused rocks to fall on the shuttle bus he was in, trapping him inside for a night. After being rescued and hospitalized, his condition deteriorated on April 4, leading to a coma and reliance on medical equipment for survival.
Coming from an economically disadvantaged background, Huang lived with his aunt and maternal grandmother, which led him to participate in the paid internship program. Described by his family as kind and thoughtful, Huang was well-liked by school faculty and friends, who visited him after lessons and on weekends following the accident.
The earthquake has claimed 18 lives, including Huang's. Additionally, a Singaporean couple remains missing, with their families agreeing to pause search efforts due to the unstable conditions of the Shakadang Trail, where they were hiking when the earthquake struck. Search efforts for the missing couple will resume once the danger has subsided and a clearer location is determined.
Huang's death has deeply affected his community, highlighting the personal tragedies behind natural disasters. His school and loved ones remember him as a bright, caring individual whose potential was tragically cut short. The community now mourns the loss of a young life and continues to deal with the aftermath of the devastating earthquake.