A heartbreaking accident occurred on July 30 along Taiwan’s Provincial Highway 20 in Liugui, Kaohsiung, where a road collapse at the 81.1 km mark caused a car carrying a family of five to plunge into a 50-storey-deep ravine. The family, surnamed Lee, was returning to Taoyuan with their newborn baby after a follow-up medical appointment when disaster struck around 9 PM.
Rescue teams discovered the body of 17-year-old Pan, one of the daughters, but the scene was disturbing—her head was missing, with only her jaw remaining. Due to the severe condition of the remains, identity verification was initially impossible. Authorities collected DNA samples from the body and from Pan’s biological father (the ex-husband of the mother) for urgent testing. He arrived at the Kaohsiung mortuary the next morning around 10 AM to assist in the process and to identify the body.
The area where the car fell was covered in thick mud, making rescue operations extremely difficult. So far, only one full body and one partial set of remains have been recovered.
On the evening of the incident, satellite images showed what appeared to be a foot sticking out of the debris. Due to bad weather, rescue efforts were paused and resumed the next morning (Aug 1), with the site targeted for excavation to determine whether it held more human remains or a full body. Nearby, a second team was assigned to dig around a tire found near Pan’s body in hopes of locating the vehicle.
Due to the depth of the accident site—over 100 meters down—heavy machinery could not be deployed. Rescue crews are using shovels and working by hand, supported by drones for surveillance of the upstream dam area and downstream terrain.
Latest updates reveal that rescue teams have now found more vehicle debris in the riverbed, including a car tire, baby clothing, and several body parts believed to be from an adult. Identification efforts are ongoing.
