Macau’s tourism crisis assistance team, in collaboration with the Macau Red Cross, reached out to the local family affected by a tragic gas explosion in Taichung, Taiwan last Thursday.
The incident resulted in the deaths of two Macau residents and left five others injured.
Among the injured is a two-year-old girl from Macau who underwent an emergency craniotomy due to severe brain injuries, according to China Medical University (CMU) Children’s Hospital, as reported by Focus Taiwan.
The girl was visiting Taichung with six other family members when the explosion occurred at the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department store just before noon.
The blast sent debris crashing down as the family passed by, tragically resulting in the instant death of the girl’s grandfather, with her grandmother pronounced dead shortly after at the hospital.
The assistance team arrived in Taichung on Thursday evening, promptly visiting the hospitalized family members to convey condolences from Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai.
CMU Children’s Hospital officials reported that the girl was in a deep coma upon arrival after being transferred from another hospital. She had suffered a brain hemorrhage and swelling, and an emergency craniotomy was performed.
As of now, she remains in intensive care with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 3, indicating complete unresponsiveness.
Hospital officials stated that efforts are focused on stabilizing her blood pressure and heart rate, reducing pressure on her brain, and preventing infections.
Two of the injured individuals have already been discharged after treatment.
The girl’s parents sustained minor injuries. Her great-grandmother suffered fractures to her ribs and arm, while her uncle sustained fractures to his face and hand. Both are being treated at the Chung Kang Branch of Cheng Ching Hospital, as reported by the hospital’s vice superintendent, Huang Jen-chieh.
The explosion resulted in four deaths and 35 injuries, with five in intensive care and six in general wards.
Representatives from the shopping mall provided support, including hotel accommodations and travel arrangements for family and friends visiting Taichung.
Efforts are also underway to arrange the transportation of the deceased residents’ remains back to Macau, coordinated by the local Red Cross and relevant authorities.
On February 14, the assistance team accompanied the family to meet with local funeral and legal service personnel, facilitating the identification of the deceased and discussing arrangements for their remains.
Staff from a Macau insurance company have also arrived to assist with compensation matters related to the incident.
Meanwhile, Hotel Fortune expressed its condolences to the family of one of its long-serving employees, who had worked at the hotel for two decades. In a statement released on Friday, the hotel reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the family.
The company has sent representatives to Taichung to assist the grieving family, and Macau Yin Kui Hospital, affiliated with the hotel, will also offer medical support.
The department store announced that it would provide TWD1 million (around MOP244,500) to each bereaved family as a gesture of condolence. Victoria Chan
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