Two adults and a child were killed yesterday morning after an earthquake that struck off the Taitung County coast caused a fire in Tainan County's Liuchia Township (
Preliminary police investigations indicated the flames that devastated the car body shop and home owned by the deceased was most likely triggered when candles on the family's shrine were knocked over by the temblor.
The first quake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale occurred at 4:33am, shaking Taitung's Changbin Township (
The county fire department and the police said a follow-up investigation will determine the real cause of the fire.
The bodies of the shop owner, 44 year-old Lin Wen-yin (
The fire department received a call yesterday morning when neighbors saw thick smoke coming from the roof of the body shop. Local newspapers reported one neighbor tried to pry open the steel bars over the windows when he heard a woman screaming for help.
The man alerted the police when he was not able to open the window.
Firefighters arrived at the scene within three minutes of the call.
It was reported that several minor explosions caused by inflammable items stored inside the shop went off as the fire fighters were trying to extinguish the flames.
Over 30 firefighters and 10 fire trucks were mobilized to the scene. The fire was reportedly under control by 5:10am and completely extinguished by 6am.
The parents of the shop owner arrived at the shop after the fire was extinguished. The two had to be rushed to the nearby hospital after fainting when they saw the wreckage and learned that their son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter were all killed.
Additional reporting by DPA
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
STATS: Taiwan’s average life expectancy of 80.77 years was lower than that of Japan, Singapore and South Korea, but higher than in China, Malaysia and Indonesia Taiwan’s average life expectancy last year increased to 80.77 years, but was still not back to its pre-COVID-19 pandemic peak of 81.32 years in 2020, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. The average life expectancy last year increased the 0.54 years from 2023, the ministry said in a statement. For men and women, the average life expectancy last year was 77.42 years and 84.30 years respectively, up 0.48 years and 0.56 years from the previous year. Taiwan’s average life expectancy peaked at 81.32 years in 2020, as the nation was relatively unaffected by the pandemic that year. The metric
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
Passengers on Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) will be required to use headphones and make phone calls in gangways under new “quiet travel” rules starting Sept. 22. THSR Chairman Shih Che (史哲) told media that THSR will run a three-month promotional campaign to ensure widespread adoption of the new rules. Those repeatedly ignoring the guidance face the potential termination of their transport contract, which can result in them getting escorted off the train, according to THSR. Shih shared his hope to cultivate an environment conducive to rest and reading for the train’s passengers, stating that these changes aim to “promote self-discipline” among passengers
RSS