The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) should provide emergency evacuation guidelines for people staying in COVID-19 quarantine hotels, the New Power Party (NPP) said yesterday, following a deadly blaze earlier this week that killed four people.
A fire at a quarantine hotel in Changhua County’s Chiaoyu Building on Wednesday injured 20 people, and killed a firefighter and three people who had been isolating there.
One of the people who died, Chen Chien-kuang (陳建光), who had been isolating after he returned from Thailand, filmed a video shortly before his death that went viral online.
In the video, Chen, 59, said he saw plumes of smoke from his room on the ninth floor, but did not know whether to leave or stay to observe quarantine rules and avoid fines.
People who leave mandatory quarantine in the cases of an emergency situation would not be fined for doing so, the center said on Thursday.
NPP Chairwoman and Legislator Chen Jiau-hua (陳椒華) told an online news conference yesterday that Chen Chien-kuang’s video exposed a systemic problem that people in COVID-19 isolation might not know how to evacuate in an emergency, such as a fire or earthquake.
The CECC should publish evacuation guidelines for people at quarantine facilities, and have facility staff conduct fire drills, Chen Jiau-hua said.
She also addressed the poor working conditions faced by firefighters.
The US, Japan and many European countries allow public servants to form unions, but firefighters in Taiwan are not permitted to do so, she said.
The NPP has been advocating for firefighters’ rights to form unions, so they can discuss work issues and negotiate with the government, she said, urging the government to address the matter.
NPP Changhua County Councilor Wu Wei-ta (吳韋達) also said that firefighters’ rights deserve more attention.
One firefighter in Changhua County has to protect 1,800 people on average, which shows that the county’s rescue capacity is insufficient, he said.
The blaze also exposed problems with building management, Wu said.
The Condominium Administration Act (公寓大廈管理條例) does not provide a legal basis for mandatory management of unused floors, he said.
Not inspecting unused floors poses safety risks to residents of the building, he said, calling for lawmakers to amend regulations and review the management mechanisms of prominent buildings.
The county government should soon publish a report on the rescue procedure of the hotel’s fire, Wu added.
As the Ministry of the Interior has also said it would investigate the blaze, it should work with the county government to clarify what caused the incident and outline improvement plans, he said.
Wu also expressed support for an appeal from the sister of firefighter Chen Chih-fan (陳志帆), who died in Wednesday’s blaze.
She on Friday called for a monument to be erected in honor of her brother, to remind people of firefighters’ sacrifices.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
HORROR STORIES: One victim recounted not realizing they had been stabbed and seeing people bleeding, while another recalled breaking down in tears after fleeing A man on Friday died after he tried to fight the knife-wielding suspect who went on a stabbing spree near two of Taipei’s busiest metro stations, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. The 57-year-old man, identified by his family name, Yu (余), encountered the suspect at Exit M7 of Taipei Main Station and immediately tried to stop him, but was fatally wounded and later died, Chiang said, calling the incident “heartbreaking.” Yu’s family would receive at least NT$5 million (US$158,584) in compensation through the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp’s (TRTC) insurance coverage, he said after convening an emergency security response meeting yesterday morning. National
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
PLANNED: The suspect visited the crime scene before the killings, seeking information on how to access the roof, and had extensively researched a 2014 stabbing incident The suspect in a stabbing attack that killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei on Friday had planned the assault and set fires at other locations earlier in the day, law enforcement officials said yesterday. National Police Agency (NPA) Director-General Chang Jung-hsin (張榮興) said the suspect, a 27-year-old man named Chang Wen (張文), began the attacks at 3:40pm, first setting off smoke bombs on a road, damaging cars and motorbikes. Earlier, Chang Wen set fire to a rental room where he was staying on Gongyuan Road in Zhongzheng District (中正), Chang Jung-hsin said. The suspect later threw smoke grenades near two exits
RSS