A jobless, homesick Taiwan man gouged out his own eyes, surrounded by families celebrating the mid-autumn festival, a newspaper said on Monday.
Chiu Hsin-chih (40) lives in Taoyuan County with his mother, wife and two toddler-age children but has been out of work for a long time, the Apple Daily reported.
For several months, Chiu had worked odd jobs in Chungli, a satellite city of Taipei, and he was homesick late on Sunday during the mid-autumn festival, when Chinese families reunite and eat sweet moon cakes under a full moon.
At 11pm, Chiu was sitting in a park in Chungli as numerous families were barbecuing in the park to celebrate the festival.
”The full moon, smell of barbecue and the revellers’ laughter made him even more homesick and angry at his fate. In a fit of anger, he gouged out his eyes with the forefinger and middle finger of his right hand,” the daily said.
”Chiu cried out in pain, prompting the revellers to call an ambulance and rush him to hospital, with his eyes hanging from his sockets. Doctors put his eyes back into the sockets but fear that he will lose his sight.” – Sapa-DPA