An early-morning fire at a building in New Taipei City yesterday killed three people, including an elementary-school principal, and left another person injured, the city’s fire department said.
The fire broke out at about 1am in the four-story building in the city’s Yingge District (鶯歌). Firefighters rushed to the scene soon after they were informed of the blaze. However, by the time they arrived, the fire had already gutted the house, and rescuers were told that four people remained in the building, the department said.
It took about an hour before the fire was extinguished, and rescuers found three people without vital signs in the building. The victims are 50-year-old Tseng Chun-kai (曾俊凱), the owner of the building and principal of Fengming Elementary School; his wife, Huang Wen-yu (黃玟瑜), also aged 50, who was a music teacher; and Tseng’s nephew, surnamed Chiu (邱).
The three were later pronounced dead at a hospital, the department said.
Tseng’s 21-year-old niece is the sole survivor of the blaze,. She had jumped from the third floor, sustaining minor fractures, it said.
The cause of the blaze has not yet been determined, but a preliminary investigation suggests the fire was electrical, it added.
Hung Liang-chien (洪良建), a fire investigator in the department, told reporters that none of the doors in the building were closed during the blaze, which allowed smoke and fire to easily spread.
In addition, low visibility due to a blackout caused by the fire was another reason for the casualties, he added.
According to the city government, Tseng had served as principal of three elementary schools in the city and had been a teacher for more than three decades.
Earlier this year, he was honored with an outstanding leadership award by the city for his performance and devotion to his work.
New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) expressed his condolences to Tseng’s family.
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