Yesterday, we reported of a tragic incident which saw a 17-year-old girl losing her life after a massive temple beam weighing 1,000kg fell on her.
Her family were left shaken and deeply heartbroken by the tragedy, with her father asking why the deities never stepped in to prevent it from happening.
Helped family member with temple duties
Speaking to Sin Chew Daily at the funeral hall, the father of the victim, Guo Chuiyi (transliteration), said his father (the victim’s grandfather) would go to the temple almost every night for years to carry out his duties, such as changing the lamp wicks and keeping the place clean.
However, the elderly man became unable to do those tasks due to immobility caused by a stroke a few years ago. Thus, the family would head over to the temple together to help.
‘Why didn’t the gods protect her?’
On the night of the incident, Guo said his daughter was changing the lamp wick when one of the temple beams suddenly broke and fell on her.
The entire incident was witnessed by the family, with Guo immediately rushing over to his daughter’s side while holding her in his arms.
“While I was holding her, I saw that her hands were trembling slightly and she even opened her eyes to look at me.
“But when she took her last breath not long after, I collapsed on the spot,” he recounted.
The tragedy has since left Guo devastated as he lost a daughter whom he described was the pride of the family and a filial child.
Our family has done nothing wrong. We help out at the temple every day, so why haven’t the gods protected my daughter?” he wept.
Seeks answers from temple
Following the tragedy, Guo said he’s looking to getting an explanation from the temple’s council for the beam falling apart and killing his daughter.
He added that the beam had only been installed four years ago and said an investigation must be carried out to determine whether it had structural or quality issues.
However, Guo said he doesn’t blame the temple council for his daughter’s death.
Several villagers also expressed doubt over the beam’s quality, with many saying it was highly unusual for one to break within such a short period of time.
The coffin of Guo’s daughter was taken back to her hometown yesterday (Apr 8), and the funeral will take place on Friday (Apr 10) before the cremation.
