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Four children die in Changhua blaze

Families of four children who died in a fire on Sunday held a ceremony yesterday to call back their souls while police launched an investigation into the tragedy.

The blaze occurred in a vehicle repair plant in Datsuen Township (大村), Changhua County, at approximately 10am on Sunday.

VICTIMS

Factory owner Lai I-kai (賴義凱), 32, was sleeping in the attic with his three children -- Lai Mei-hui (賴美惠), 6, Lai Shih-fang (賴世芳), 5, two month-old Lai Wan-yun (賴宛妘) -- and his nephew, Lai Kuan-hsun (賴冠勳), 5, when the fire broke out.

Lai said he was awakened by heavy smoke and moments later saw flames.

HORROR

He attempted to wake up the children then rushed down into the kitchen to get water. The extreme heat of the ladder leading to the attic and the severe burns he had suffered on his hands prevented him from going back up.

Lai, who was treated at hospital, said the only thing he could do was flee the house and call for help.

Arriving five minutes after receiving the call, firefighters were able to bring the fire under control in about half an hour, whereupon they discovered that the four children had burned to death.

Police said the bodies, leaning against each other under a blanket, had turned black.

Questioned by police on Sunday, Lai's wife, Lin Tsai-hsia (林采霞), said the incident would not have happened had she not gone to the market in the morning.

The township office said that Lai was running his vehicle repair factory in his house legally.

Chang Kung-wei (張恭維), a fire department official in charge of identifying the cause of the fire, said it may have started because of faulty electrical wiring.
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