2010-11-04 10:15

ILAN, Taiwan - Relatives of 19 Chinese mainland tourists missing in the Typhoon Megi-triggered landslides two weeks ago in Taiwan went to the local prosecutor's office in Ilan Wednesday and got the death certificates of their loved ones.

Though the bodies of most of the missing tourists have not been found, the relatives planned to hold a public memorial ceremony at a funeral home in Taipei Thursday.

The deadly landslides on October 21 on the island's eastern coastal Suao-Hualien Highway have left three dead including one mainland tourist Gong Yan, and 23 others missing, including the 19 mainland tourists.

Gong's remains were recovered in the sea off Ilan County on October 25, and DNA tests confirmed her identity last Thursday. Her remains were cremated Tuesday.

According to Yao Ta-kuang, chairman of the island's Travel Agent Association, compensation from Taiwan insurers for each mainland tourist killed in the landslides was expected to be $167,598.

Kao Koong-lian, vice chairman of the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), visited the relatives of the missing Wednesday morning.

He said the search for the missing would continue. "I hope the all-out search efforts can console the relatives."

As for when the search would stop, Kao said it should be decided by the professional judgement of the rescue teams. "As long as there is still possibility of finding something, the search will go on."

Some relatives hoped Taiwan authorities to set up a monument at the landslide site. Kao said the SEF would coordinate with relevant departments to achieve the aim. "From my personal point of view, it won't be very difficult."

Local rescue workers continued their search Wednesday. In the past few days, they had been mainly combing three collapsed sections of the highway.