A 68-year-old woman from Hong Kong collapsed during a family meal at a buffet restaurant in Kaohsiung’s Dream Mall on Sunday (Nov 23) and died early Wednesday (Nov 26) after three days in intensive care.
According to Taiwanese media, the incident occurred at a popular all-you-can-eat restaurant inside the shopping centre. The woman had not been eating at the time. She had been speaking with relatives and had just returned from the restroom when she suddenly lost consciousness and stopped breathing.
A passing nurse administered CPR before firefighters and paramedics arrived. When paramedics took over, they found the woman had no pulse or was not breathing, and provided emergency treatment before rushing her to the hospital.
Hospital examinations reportedly found no obstruction in her airway, ruling out choking and suggesting a sudden medical emergency.
Despite intensive treatment, the woman was pronounced dead at about 4 am this morning. Her family has since completed procedures at the mortuary and is awaiting further examination. The planned trip has been suspended as relatives mourn the loss.
The buffet restaurant issued a statement saying its staff followed emergency procedures and pledged full cooperation with investigators.
