The fire that turned a June 27 concert at the Formosa Fun Coast (八仙海岸) water park into the nation’s deadliest amusement park disaster was caused by colored cornstarch being ignited by stage lights, an official report said this week.
The cornstarch that had been sprayed over hundreds of partygoers at a Color Play Asia event exploded when it came into contact with the lights, whose surface temperatures reached more than 400°C, the report by the New Taipei City Fire Department said.
In the report, a special investigation taskforce said a careful assessment of the evidence and repeated experiments had shown that the heat given off by 200-watt incandescent bulbs in a row of portable “Beam 200” moving-head stage lights ignited the cornstarch, sparking the deadly blaze.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
The lights had been placed on the right-hand side of the stage near the front.
The taskforce, which included fire department officials and forensic scientists from the Criminal Investigation Bureau, concluded that the staff working the Color Play Asia event had created a dense aerial concentration of colored cornstarch, using air blowers and compressed gas canisters, of more than 45g/m3.
The taskforce’s experiments discovered that running the “Beam 200” lights for several hours raises their interior heat to 1,000°C, while their surface temperature reached more than 400°C.
The colored cornstarch used at the event burns at 430°C, the taskforce said.
Enough of the powder came into contact with the heated lights that it ignited, while the airflow allowed the flame to billow, making it appear as if there had been a massive explosion, the report said.
The taskforce said it had initially focused on three possible causes for the fire: electrostatic, an open fire source such as a cigarette or lighter, or heat from electrical devices.
Investigators said they conducted a number of experiments to eliminate the possibility that a burning cigarette or lighter flame could have sparked the fire, with neither able to reach a high enough temperature to ignite cornstarch.
Meteorological data from the day showed that humidity levels were high enough to discount electrostatic charges as a cause, they said.
As part of their investigation, the taskforce summoned the supplier of the “Beam 200” lights, the technical crew and other workers at the event for questioning to determine the electrical circuit layout and operation of the stage lights.
A total of 508 people were injured in the fire, 11 of whom have since died. As of yesterday, 208 were still hospitalized, 42 of whom were listed in critical condition and 78 in intensive care.
Three defendants have been released on bail as prosecutors investigate them on charges of offences against public safety and negligence causing deaths.
Six others are being investigated, including the chairman and the president of the water park.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old