The Executive Yuan announced yesterday that it had completed a report investigating the fire at a high-tech complex in Hsichih, Taipei County earlier this month, but chose to stay mum on the official cause of the blaze.
An official at the National Fire Administration said yesterday that while the cause of the blaze at the Hsichih Complex has been known for quite some time, officials have been holding off on making the information public in deference to prosecutors.
The Taipei County Government announced a timetable for the building's reconstruction immediately after the fire ripped through the 26-story building on the weekend of May 12, and an investigative report was to be completed 10 days after the fire.
Because details of the report will impact insurance compensation to companies housed in the complex, the official announcement of the investigative report has been delayed, officials said.
"To avoid the effect that the investigative report might have on insurance compensation, we are dealing with this very carefully," a spokesman at the National Fire Administration said.
According to the lead prosecutor handling the case, Chen Jui-jen (陳瑞仁), the report shows that the fire was sparked on the third floor.
Chen, however, would not say what started the blaze.
Another official said that the report had been completed almost two weeks ago. "The report is complete. The investigative results from the Taipei County Government's fire bureau and the National Fire Administration are the same. To avoid influencing the investigation, the report simply can't be released," said Chang Chen-hsing (
The report says the task force that was organized to investigate the fire and the damage incurred has helped the companies involved find new buildings and assisted with filing insurance claims. They have also carried out inspections of the construction conditions at the complex, the report said.
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