Families of firefighters PingTung County, Taiwan
Donation protected
On September 22nd, a fire broke out at a factory in southern Taiwan's Pingtung County Friday. 20 firefighters went into the factory. The fire killed four firefighters, at least six others, and injured over a hundred people.
Some of us young professionals in Taipei and the ABC community wanted to bring awareness to this tragedy and hope to offer some relief to the families of the firefighters who lost their lives.
A video we made:
The firefighters who lost their lives:
These are the following profiles of firefighters who lost their lives. The following was reported by udn.com with minimal editing (w/ google translate)
Chen Po-han 陳柏翰 (32 yrs) was known for his sunny disposition and his height (190 cm). He joined the firefighting service to support his family. Raised by a single mother after his father's early passing, Po-han recognized the financial challenges to his family and decided to become a firefighter. Before he passed, Chen had been saving up money to go on a European trip with his mother.
Chung Chi-yuan (鍾吉垣) (38 yrs) excelled academically in high school and could have attended a prestigious university. However, due to his father's heart condition and the financial burden on his family, he chose to forego a higher education and joined the firefighting service. He is a proud father of a son.
Shih Pao-hsiung (施寶翔) (37 yrs) is Zhong’s classmate. He has two children, six and four years old. He was a dedicated firefighter who received commendations for his bravery. Tragically, he lost his life alongside Chen PoHan. Shih's mother shared that she couldn't bring herself to tell her grandson about his father's sudden passing while dropping him off at school.
Lai Chun-ju (賴俊儒) (33 yrs) was fluent in English and had a long-distance relationship with his British wife. The couple had registered their marriage in December, with plans to tie the knot next year. They had scheduled a honeymoon in Switzerland for October. His mother was shocked by the news.
Through this gofundme, we would like to raise funds to help the families of these firefighters and provide a helping hand in their time of need. The funds raised will go to the four firefighters’ families. We are not related to the families. We found their contacts through an organization that is related to the families.
There are also other ways to contribute to other victims of the PingTung tragedy. There are other links available below where you can contribute.
TaoYuan City Social Assistance Fund for those affected by PingTung tragedy
Article about the fire and link to PingTung County Social Assistance Fund special account
Article about the fire and PingTung County (incident donation) & donation to police and firefighters
To safeguard the working rights of firefighters and strive for a safe and reasonable working environment: https://savefirefighters.tw/donate/
We focused on the fundraiser for these families because it was more accessible to find the contact details of firefighters. Please note that we are in touch with 3 of the families. However, we are still trying to get in touch with the last family - Chen's family.
Update - Kevin will be withdrawing funds to a personal account and ensuring the funds are split evenly among beneficiaries via wire.
Sincerely,
Kevin
Wendy
Ethan
Angela
Alice
Edward
Organiser
Kevin L
Organiser
Diamond Bar, CA