Seven workers were killed and four injured in a fire yesterday morning at a joss paper factory in Miaoli County’s Houlong Township (後龍).
The blaze was strong enough to destroy the two-story sheet metal factory covering 70 ping (231.4m2).
Firefighters rushed to battle the blaze which trapped 15 workers inside the building. Of the 15 workers, three men and one woman were injured and rushed to a local hospital, with the woman suffering life-threatening injuries, the fire department said.
Photo: Chang Hsun-teng, Taipei Times
Seven bodies found at the scene were so burned that their gender scould not be immediately determined, the fire department said, adding that they were later identified as females, all from other parts of Taiwan.
Tsai Chung-keng (蔡忠耿), 31, one of the injured workers, said he woke up in time to escape the blaze and then climbed to the second floor of the building, removing windows and rescuing his wife. His wife suffered burns to 90 percent of her body and was transferred to a hospital in Taichung.
The 15 workers reportedly worked overtime until 4am before the fire broke out at about 5am.
While the cause of the fire has yet to be determined, prosecutors said it might have been caused by a religious ritual, as many religious items, including candlesticks, were found at the scene.
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