The deceased include nine mainland Chinese, one Philippine national and two Canadians, according to Taiwan’s official Central News Agency, or CNA. “Melody is a very loving friend, loving person,” said Vanessa Rodriguez, another caretaker from the Philippines, who attended the memorial service. The 12-story Yunmen Tsuiti building, which housed a hotel on its lower floors, where most of the casualties occurred, was still slanted Monday afternoon as it awaited demolition. He said the last two victims were trapped under heavy columns that could not be removed without risking the collapse of the entire Yunmen Tsuiti building. “In the face of disaster, humanitarian aid transcends everything,” Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council said in a statement, noting that the council was in continuous communication with the mainland Chinese and Hong Kong governments throughout the crisis.

Source: National Post February 12, 2018 05:28 UTC