Air quality is gradually improving after a fire at an electronics warehouse in New Taipei City on Tuesday released harmful pollutants into the air, causing an acrid smell across areas of greater Taipei, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said on Wednesday, although experts still advise wearing a mask when going outside over the next couple of days.
At about 2:30pm on Tuesday, firefighters responded to a call about a fire in the basement of an electronics warehouse in Shenkeng District (深坑), New Taipei City Fire Department Commissioner Lee Ching-an (李清安) told the city council.
About 250 firefighters battled the blaze, which spread up through the third story of the building until they were able to control its spread after 5pm and extinguish it at about 6:30pm, he said.
Photo: Weng Yu-huang, Taipei Times
Residents were evacuated and no one was injured, he added.
However, firefighters were still putting out lithium batteries that had reignited several times throughout the evening, reports said.
Personnel from the city’s Environmental Protection Department arrived at about 3:50pm to take air quality readings, department Commissioner Cheng Da-wei (程大維) said.
Photo copied by CNA
By 6pm, areas downwind of the blaze in Sindian District (新店) had seen a sharp increase in particulate concentrations of up to 60 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3), he said.
The stretch from Sindian through Jhonghe District (中和), Yonghe District (永和) and Taipei’s Jingmei area (景美) were the most affected, he added.
The department over Facebook advised residents to close their doors and windows, wear a face mask when outside and avoid staying outside for too long, he said.
Pollutant levels began to fall by 9pm, and by 7am on Wednesday, meters were reading 10µg/m3, he said.
However, winds are to be slight over the next two days, meaning that the pollutants are to disperse slowly, Cheng said, advising people in the affected areas to minimize their outdoor activities.
As for the business, if an investigation determines the fire was due to negligence, it could be penalized, he added.
Nearby schools have been unaffected, but students and teachers are advised to wear face masks when needed, New Taipei City Education Department Commissioner Chang Ming-wen (張明文) said.
Although pollution readings have returned to normal levels, the public is still concerned about safety, Hou said, adding that officials would continue to monitor the situation and provide updates.
Separately, a physician reiterated the call to avoid going outside and close windows, as it is still unknown the types of pollutants that were released.
If there were plastics that burned, it could have released carcinogenic dioxins, while lithium batteries could have produced hydrogen fluoride, which can irritate or damage the respiratory tract, said Yen Tsung-hai (顏宗海), director of Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital's Department of Clinical Toxicology.
When going outside, Yen advised wearing an N95 mask.
Additional reporting by CNA
The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has cautioned Japanese travelers to be vigilant against pickpockets at several popular tourist spots in Taiwan, including Taipei’s night markets, the Yongkang Street area, Zhongshan MRT Station, and Jiufen (九份) in New Taipei City. The advisory, titled “Recent Development of Concerns,” was posted on the association’s Web site under its safety and emergency report section. It urges travelers to keep backpacks fully zipped and carried in front, with valuables placed at the bottom of the bag. Visitors are advised to be especially mindful of their belongings when taking photos or speaking on the phone, avoid storing wallets and
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday announced a ban on all current and former government officials from traveling to China to attend a military parade on Sept. 3, which Beijing is to hold to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War. "This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the Republic of China’s victory in the War of Resistance [Against Japan]," MAC Deputy Minister and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) told a regular news briefing in Taipei. To prevent Beijing from using the Sept. 3 military parade and related events for "united
RSS