Premier Jiang Yi-huah today attended a prayer service in Penghu for those who died in the TransAsia Airways flight GE222 plane crash on July 23. While in Penghu, he expressed condolences to the families of the deceased, gave encouragement to rescue personnel and inspected the crash site.
The prayer service was a "first seventh day" memorial, held on the seventh day after the accident. Holding prayer rituals every seventh day after a loved one has passed away, often extending to the 49th ("seventh seventh") day, to help the departed to journey to paradise is a Taiwanese tradition.
Jiang stated that the crash was the most severe aviation accident in Taiwan in more than a decade and that he felt deeply grieved so many compatriots lost their lives. Although rescue work has come to an end, there is still a long road ahead, the premier said. He expects TransAsia Airways and relevant government agencies to do their best in completing the tasks to be done in the aftermath of the incident, such as working with wounded passengers and the families of the deceased to coordinate appropriate compensation. Attention must especially be paid to healing psychological trauma that resulted from the disaster, he added.
In response to a petition by residents of Sisi, the village where the plane crashed, to relocate their community and make the site a memorial park, the premier stated that he will respect the consensus reached by the villagers and enjoined the central administration to keep in close contact with the local government about the issue.
The premier also visited the emergency response center, commended the staff for its hard work, and donated a monetary gift to the agency as encouragement. He noted that after the plane crashed, the center's rescue personnel immediately initiated rescue and relief mechanisms, including excavating survivors and shuttling them to hospitals to save lives. In addition, the staff contributed a great deal of effort and assistance in the subsequent clearing of the crash site.
"These rescue staff have demonstrated their professionalism and efficiency, whether in mobilization speed, empathy, rescue techniques, maintaining order, or related investigation and appraisal tasks," the premier said.
Nevertheless, the public has high expectations, and Jiang encouraged personnel to humbly reflect upon any criticism they have received and strive for improvements wherever necessary. He also reminded them to show empathy and compassion while assisting the families of the deceased.
In addition, the premier expressed his gratitude to rescue personnel of the Penghu County Government, local hospitals, military personnel stationed in the area, forensic investigators from the Ministry of Justice, volunteers and social welfare organizations. Finally, Jiang asked all citizens to pray for the crash victims while extending the utmost assistance and concern to the families of the deceased and helping them to recover from their grief as soon as possible.