Taiwanese Homeowner Stops Rescuers From Saving Dying Man Because of Asian Superstition

August 21, 2017

Firefighters in Taiwan encountered a delay in their attempt to rescue an injured man after a superstitious homeowner reportedly refused to let them pass through.

The rescue team’s first responders who needed to reach a man in a back alley were stopped by the owner the house. The owner’s decision delayed the rescue by about 15 minutes, rescuers stated.

According to the Straits Times, an electrician had fallen while installing an air-conditioner in New Taipei City on August 11. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

One of the volunteers involved in the rescue wrote in an article online that the owner of the house did not want to let firefighters through her home to reach the back alley where the electrician had fallen. She allegedly told the rescuers that she did not want her house to be linked to an unnatural death.

Indeed, after the news reports reached the mainstream media, the house ended up being listed in an online “unlucky house database” which tracks these unlucky houses, listing entries based on news reports.

In Taiwan, properties where people die of unnatural causes are regarded by some as unlucky and automatically incur a diminished price. Incidents such as such as homicide, suicide, and even accidental deaths can significantly reduce the value of a house on the market.

By law, sellers are legally obliged to inform potential buyers about the actual status of the “unlucky” properties. It is possible to remove the stigma of bad luck from one of these homes, but the house would need to undergo a drastic transformation to get rid of its unlucky status.

Feature image via Wikimedia Commons/ 玄史生

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