After nine hours struggling to reach quake-stricken Haiti from neighboring Dominican Republic, the first Taiwanese search and rescue team arrived in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince at about 1pm on Saturday and immediately pitched in with the desperate search for survivors.
The team of 14 specialists and two sniffer dogs — along with 2,000kg of equipment and medical supplies, including life detectors — reported to a UN coordination center to share assignments after responding to a call by the Republic of China embassy in Haiti to search the collapsed central government building to determine whether anyone was still alive beneath mountains of rubble.
Some members of the team began providing medical services to the wounded.
PHOTO: CNA
Squad leader Lin Chien-chih (林謙志) said their arrival had been stalled for two days because of impeded air traffic.
Lin said the team would stay in Haiti for at least three days, but would stay longer if required.
The team departed from Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, which shares a border with Haiti, at 4am on Saturday for Port-au-Prince aboard two mini buses and one truck.
Meanwhile, Chang Tai-fu (張台輔), Taiwan’s acting ambassador in Haiti, told the Central News Agency (CNA) yesterday that China’s commercial representative there had suggested to him via a Taiwanese businessman that Taipei and Beijing jointly conduct rescue and relief tasks in the Caribbean country. However, the proposal “has been rejected courteously” by Chang on grounds that the rescue teams of the two sides have been tasked with different missions.
Ambassador to Haiti Hsu Mien-sheng (徐勉生) and Consul Chi Wang-teh (齊王德) were injured when their Port-au-Prince headquarters collapsed during the killer quake. They have been sent to the Dominican Republic for treatment.
CNA yesterday also reported that a four-year-old daughter of an overseas Taiwanese businessman, was confirmed by her mother as killed by the earthquake. The girl’s body was found under the rubble of a collapsed school building by French and Canadian search teams, CNA said.
In related news, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) could add the Dominican Republic to the itinerary of his visit to Honduras later this month to bring monetary aid and relief goods to Haiti.
Ma is to attend the Jan. 27 inauguration of Honduran president-elect Porfirio Lobo Sosa.
A source in Taipei said Ma would bring the relief funds and goods to the border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, but would not enter Haiti to avoid causing more trouble for the diplomatic ally.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY AFP
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