Three people were killed and another injured in a fire at a furniture factory in Taichung’s Situn District (西屯) yesterday morning.
The factory owner, a 70-year-old man surnamed Kuo (郭), survived with second-degree burns covering about 30 percent of his body, and is being treated at Taichung Veterans General Hospital.
His 68-year-old wife, surnamed Feng (馮), their 31-year-old son, and Kuo’s 51-year-old nephew, surnamed Cheng (鄭), did not survive.
Photo: Tsai Meng-chuan, Taipei Times
The couple had moved into the factory after Feng had a stroke, so that her son could better take care of her, Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) told reporters.
The two-story tall factory, which manufactured sofa frames, had a significant amount of flammable material, which worsened the fire and made rescue efforts challenging, Taichung Fire Bureau Director-General Sun Fu-You (孫福佑) said.
The fire spread to two warehouses, covering an area of about 2,000m2 and causing losses of more than NT$2 million (US$62,819).
The fire broke out at about 5am and was not controlled until 7:14am, before being extinguished at 9:01am, Sun said.
Family members and neighbors who rushed to the scene told reporters that Kuo, a former adviser to a neighborhood watch group, and Feng had raised five children.
The night of the fire, Kuo was sleeping in the front reception area, which enabled him to escape more easily, while his son was in the back room caring for his ailing mother.
Lu expressed his condolences to the family, while directing government agencies to provide support.
In the immediate aftermath of the blaze, downwind areas reported elevated levels of PM2.5 (particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometers or smaller in diameter). The Department of Environmental Protection lifted the air pollution alert at about noon yesterday.
The 500m2 factory opened in 2016, but from March 2022 to August this year was under a supervised improvement plan, the Taichung Economic Development Bureau said.
It was originally unlicensed, but was later certified under a program to register unlicensed businesses.
At the time of the fire, it was not in operation and was being used as a storage warehouse.
Kuo was modernizing the factory’s fire prevention systems, such as installing fire extinguishers and emergency exit lights, and environmental protection capabilities, before the blaze occurred.
The fire bureau said it passed an inspection in November last year.
Additional reporting by CNA
Taiwan was listed in 14th place among the world's wealthiest country in terms of GDP per capita, in the latest rankings released on Monday by Forbes magazine. Taiwan's GDP per capita was US$76,860, which put it at No. 14 on the list of the World's 100 Richest Countries this year, one spot above Hong Kong with US$75,130. The magazine's list of the richest countries in the world is compiled based on GDP per capita data, as estimated by the IMF. However, for a more precise measure of a nation's wealth, the magazine also considers purchasing power parity, which is a metric used to
Taipei’s Ximending (西門町) shopping area welcomed the most international visitors, followed by Taipei 101, Songshan Cultural and Creative Park and Yangmingshan National Park (陽明山國家公園), a list of the city’s most popular tourist attractions published by the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism showed. As of August, 69.22 million people had visited Taipei’s main tourism spots, a 76 percent increase from 39.33 million in the same period last year, department data showed. Ximending had 20.21 million visitors, followed by Taipei 101 at 8.09 million, Songshan Cultural and Creative Park at 6.28 million, Yangmingshan at 4.51 million and the Red House Theater (西門紅樓) in
NINTH MONTH: There were 11,792 births in Taiwan last month and 15,563 deaths, or a mortality rate of 8.11 per 1,000 people, household registration data showed Taiwan’s population was 23,404,138 as of last month, down 2,470 from August, the ninth consecutive month this year that the nation has reported a drop, the Ministry of the Interior said on Wednesday. The population last month was 162 fewer than the same month last year, a decline of 0.44 per day, the ministry said, citing household registration data. Taiwan reported 11,792 births last month, or 3.7 births per day, up 149 from August, it said, adding that the monthly birthrate was 6.15 per 1,000 people. The jurisdictions with the highest birthrates were Yunlin County at 14.62 per 1,000 people, Penghu County (8.61
WARNING: Domestic coffee producers mainly grow arabica beans, as they self-pollinate, but they are more likely to have consistency issues, an expert said Taiwan ranks third in coffee consumption per capita in Asia, the latest Ministry of Agriculture data showed. Taiwanese consume 1.77kg, or 177 cups of coffee, per person each year, less only than Japan and South Korea, at 600 cups and 400 cups respectively, the ministry’s Tea and Beverage Research Station said. Although the nation mainly relies on imported coffee, there has been an increase in home-grown coffee bean production, the ministry said. Cuttings and other techniques are commonly used to ensure domestic beans have stronger floral and fruity flavors, it said. It is a fast-expanding market with Taiwan’s coffee consumption
RSS