Barbie Hsu, a Taiwanese actress who starred in the popular TV drama Meteor Garden that once swept Asia, died after contracting pneumonia triggered by the flu. She was 48.

"Our whole family came to Japan for a trip, and my dearest and most kindhearted sister Barbie Hsu died of influenza-induced pneumonia and unfortunately left us," Barbie’s sister

Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu, who shot to fame for starring in the TV series Meteor Garden, has died from pneumonia, local media report. She was 48. Hsu is one of the biggest names in the Mandarin-speaking world and Meteor Garden made her a big star in countries like the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand after it was dubbed in local languages.