The fireworks manufacturer contracted for Taichung’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display has been fined NT$100,000 after a six-year-old girl was injured by falling fireworks, the city government said today.
The Taichung City Government held a New Year’s Eve celebration last night at Taichung Central Park (台中中央公園) that featured a three-minute fireworks show at midnight.
Some embers and sparks from the fireworks fell into the crowd, starting a fire and burning the face of a six-year-old girl from Japan.
Photo courtesy of Taichung City Government via CNA
City departments are providing the child with support, assistance and care, Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) said this morning.
An investigation is being conducted to determine whether the accident was caused by weather conditions or a technical issue on the part of the contractor, Lu added.
The Taichung Fire Bureau later said an initial investigation found that the iron frame securing the firing tubes was loose.
This led to the first and second round of fireworks misfiring at an unsafe distance, the bureau said.
The contractor, a third-party fireworks manufacturer contracted by Sanlih Entertainment Television, has been fined NT$100,000 for contravening the Fireworks Management Act (爆竹煙火管理條例), it added.
The type, specifications and quantity of fireworks, as well as safety distances, personnel and precautionary measures, all followed regulations, the bureau said.
However, during the show, the misfiring caused embers and sparks to fall into the crowd and ignite weeds, causing a fire, it added.
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