FAMILIES of 19 Chinese mainlandtourists missing since Typhoon Megi lashed Taiwan a fortnight ago have given up hope of their loved ones being found alive and asked for their death certificates.

The tourists from Guangdong Province have been out of contact since October 21, after the group's bus was hit by Megi-triggered landslides on the Suao-Hualien Highway on Taiwan's east coast.

Yesterday, relatives went to the local prosecutor's office in Ilan County to obtain death certificates for loved ones.

Though their bodies have not been found, family members plan to hold a public memorialceremony at a funeral home in Taipei today.

The landslides killed one mainlandtourist, Gong Yan, and left 23 others missing, including the 19 tourists.

Gong's remains were recovered in the sea on October 25, and DNA tests confirmed her identity last Thursday. She was cremated on Tuesday.

According to Yao Ta-kuang, chairman of the island's Travel Agent Association, compensation from Taiwan insurers for each mainlandtourist killed in the landslides was expected to be 5.1 million new Taiwan dollars (US$167,598).

Kao Koong-lian, vice chairman of the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation, visited the relatives of the missingyesterday morning.

He said the search would continue. "I hope that all-out search efforts can console the relatives," he said. "As long as there is still possibility of finding something, the search will go on."

Some relatives hope Taiwan authorities will set up a monument at the landslide site. Kao said the SEF would coordinate with relevant departments to achieve this.

Rescue workers continued their search yesterday. In recent days they have concentrated on three collapsed sections of the highway.

• missing [´misiŋ] a.缺掉的；失踪的 (初中英语单词)
• province [´prɔvins] n.省；领域；范围 (初中英语单词)
• contact [´kɔntækt] n.接触；联系 v.联络 (初中英语单词)
• highway [´haiwei] n.公路，大道 (初中英语单词)
• yesterday [´jestədi] n.&ad.昨天；前不久 (初中英语单词)
• obtain [əb´tein] v.获得；买到；得到承认 (初中英语单词)
• ceremony [´seriməni] n.典礼；礼仪；客气 (初中英语单词)
• funeral [´fju:nərəl] n.葬礼，丧葬；困难 (初中英语单词)
• foundation [faun´deiʃən] n.建立；基金；地基 (初中英语单词)
• possibility [,pɔsə´biliti] n.可能(性)；希望；前途 (初中英语单词)
• monument [´mɔnjumənt] n.纪念碑；古迹 (初中英语单词)
• achieve [ə´tʃi:v] vt.完成；达到；获得 (初中英语单词)
• rescue [´reskju:] vt.&n.救援；挽救 (初中英语单词)
• fortnight [´fɔ:tnait] n.两星期 (高中英语单词)
• memorial [mi´mɔ:riəl] a.纪念的 n.纪念物 (高中英语单词)
• tourist [´tuərist] n.游客，观光者 (高中英语单词)
• compensation [,kɔmpen´seiʃən] n.补偿，赔偿 (高中英语单词)
• finding [´faindiŋ] n.发现物；判断；结果 (高中英语单词)
• relevant [´relivənt] a.有关的；中肯的 (高中英语单词)
• mainland [´meinlənd] n.大陆；本土 (英语四级单词)
• console [kən´səul] vt.安慰；慰问 (英语四级单词)
• identity [ai´dentiti] n.身份；同一性；一致 (英语六级单词)
• coordinate [kəu´ɔ:dineit] a.&n.同等的 v.协调 (英语六级单词)