Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and his three deputy mayors yesterday bowed and apologized to the public for ineffective fire safety inspections that failed to prevent a fire that broke out at Cashbox Partyworld KTV (錢櫃) on Taipei’s Linsen N Road on Sunday morning, leaving five dead and dozens injured.
“We are not only apologizing, we also feel ashamed,” Ko said at a meeting of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) Taipei City Council caucus.
Cashbox had previously passed 20 fire safety inspections, but four of its six branches in Taipei failed an unscheduled inspection after the incident, he said.
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
It means that the inspection mechanism is ineffective, Ko said, adding that the city government would re-examine loopholes in the system.
Five fire protection systems in the building were found to have been turned off before the incident and four other Cashbox branches failed the city’s unscheduled fire safety inspections on Monday, officials said.
They ordered Cashbox to suspend operations and improve the situation within three days.
Three branches were each fined NT$120,000, while a branch of Party KTV (星聚點) and two movie theaters were also ordered to suspend operations after failing inspections.
Taipei Deputy Mayor Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) said that the city government would complete fire safety inspections of 70 enclosed recreational spaces in the city by tomorrow, as well as re-examine related fire safety regulations.
The Fire Services Act (消防法) only allows the Taipei Fire Department to ask venues that have failed inspections to improve the situation within a given period, but it cannot order them to suspend operations, Huang said, adding that the city was forced to invoke the Administrative Enforcement Act (行政執行法).
The city government said that it would also assemble a legal support team to assist victims of the incident and their families in negotiating compensation with Cashbox.
The Taipei Department of Legal Affairs yesterday held a meeting with Cashbox and insurance company representatives to discuss compensation.
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