Core continues to operate despite failing inspection

Core Pacific City (京華城) shopping mall closed the 12th floor for business yesterday after failing to complete the interior furnishings on the floor.

"Although we had originally planned to request the mall management to close the 11th and 12th floors if inspections conducted last night concluded that they pose danger to public safety, they took the initiative to seal the 12th floor because the interior furnishings on that floor are not yet complete," said city spokesman Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇).

An emergency safety inspection Wednesday by the city's Fire Department and Department of Construction Management concluded that the fire safety system from the third basement level to the 10th floor were safe.

"However, we couldn't conduct the fire safety checks for two restaurants located on the 11th and entire 12th floors because furnishings were not completely installed," said Chang Po-ching (張博卿), director of the city's Fire Department.

After the inspection on the higher levels is completed, the management will then be allowed to apply for an operating license.

The facility has been doing business without an operating license since Nov. 19.

The Consumers' Foundation (消基會) said yesterday, that the entire shopping center should suspend operations.

"It's very simple. No operating license, no service," said the foundation's chairman Yu Ming-kuo (游明國).

"The city government shouldn't let an unsafe facility open its doors to the public," Yu said.

But another consumer advocate said that it should be up to the public to decide.

"Consumers should require the mall operator to be responsible for their safety. If the company can't fulfill the promise, consumers should boycott the company," said Wu Cheng-hsuel (吳政學), a consumer ombudsman at the Cabinet-level Consumer Protection Commission.

Following Wednesday night's emergency inspection, the Fire Department conducted another round of inspections on the entire building yesterday afternoon at the request of the mall management.