Premier Yu Shyi-kun yesterday suggested that the Chiayi County Government punish as soon as possible those responsible for an explosion at an illegal fireworks factory that killed six people and injured three.
The public has also been called on for assistance in tracking down illegal fireworks factories.
People with information that leads to the prosecution of offenders are eligible for a reward ranging between NT$10,000 and NT$500,000.
PHOTO: TING WEI-CHIEH, TAIPEI TIMES
Yu also asked the Ministry of the Interior to draw up a new system of inspection and certification for the industry.
In addition, Yu instructed the ministry to seek comment from religious organizations over the possibility of reducing the amount of fireworks used during traditional holidays and festivals.
Yu made the request yesterday morning during the weekly closed-door Cabinet meeting, where he was briefed on the explosion by Cabinet Spokesman Chen Chi-mai (
In addition to expressing personal regret over the incident, Yu referred to the importance of curbing threats to public safety.
"Local governments are duty-bound to enforce the law on management of fireworks to ensure the safety of the public," Chen quoted Yu as saying at a press conference held after the meeting.
According to the Fireworks Management Regulations (爆竹煙火管理條例), those who illegally manufacture fireworks can be sentenced to three years in jail or be fined up to NT$3 million.
Manufacturers selling fireworks without certificates of approval are subject to a fine of between NT$300,000 and NT$1.5 million. Retailers or wholesalers who sell unapproved fireworks are subject to a fine of between NT$30,000 and NT$150,000.
The ministry is planning to launch a quality-assurance mechanism by the end of year. It is expected to include a six-month grace period.
"We're thinking of contracting a group of private inspectors to do the inspections for us," Chung Yu-chong (張裕忠), director of the ministry's division of hazardous goods, told the Taipei Times.
Meanwhile, Chiayi District Court yesterday granted a request by the Chiayi Prosecutor's Office to detain Yang Chung-ching (楊忠慶), the owner of the land where the ill-fated underground fireworks factory was located.
Yang claimed he leased the pig farm to a friend, Ho Chun-tien (
Ho's family, who say he was employed by a man known as A-chiang (阿強) to run the business, have lost contact with him. Police fear Ho was killed at the factory, while the Chiayi Prosecutor's Office expects to confirm this when DNA test results on bodies found at the scene are returned tomorrow.
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