An explosion in the early hours of this morning at a Far Eastern New Century Corp chemical fiber plant in Hsinchu County has killed two and left 19 injured.
At about 3am, the Hsinchu County Fire Bureau received a report of a fire at the Cotton 6 North Plant in Sinpu Township (新埔) and dispatched 29 fire trucks and 60 firefighters after a suspected gas leak triggered an explosion, the bureau said.
The blaze is currently under control, but firefighting efforts are ongoing, it added.
Photo courtesy of the Hsinchu County Fire Bureau
Initial internal investigations suggest that the explosion was caused by a gas leak from a hot oil pipeline, Far Eastern Group said, but added that it is awaiting official investigation results for confirmation.
Tsai Pai-wei (蔡柏瑋), a 35-year-old duty manager, went to investigate after receiving an internal notification that the fire alarm had been triggered, and was killed at the scene by the blast, the company said.
Tsai had worked at Far Eastern for almost nine years and had recently been promoted to engineer, it added.
Photo courtesy of the Hsinchu County Government
Another employee, 43-year-old engineer Chang Chun-yu (張駿瑀), sustained critical injuries at the scene and was sent to a hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries, it said.
Far Eastern Group chairman Douglas Hsu (徐旭東) has ordered generous compensation for the families of the deceased and dispatched personnel to hospitals to assist the injured, the company said.
Far Eastern said their factories are all equipped with fire detectors and automatic alarm systems, and once a fire was detected this morning, the guardroom immediately notified plant personnel.
However, since 2019, five fires have broken out at the plant, according to the bureau’s records.
A Hsinchu County resident surnamed Huang (黃) said that frequent fires and even explosions have often caused unpleasant odors and air pollution in the area, with fearful residents calling the plant a “ticking time bomb.”
Labor Rights Association head and Hsinchu County Councilor Luo Mei-wen (羅美文), a former employee at the plant, said he suspects that the tragedy was caused by a long history of excessive labor cuts, overworked staff, lack of sufficient employee training and old equipment that had not been updated.
The Hsinchu County Environmental Protection Bureau has carried out air-quality testing and advised caution for certain boroughs in Hsinchu County's Jhubei City (竹北), including Dongsing (東興), Shihsing (十興), Luchang (鹿場) and Doulun (斗崙), as well as northern areas of Hsinchu City including Siangshan District (香山).
Those downwind of the blast may notice air pollution or unusual odors and are advised to close windows and take precautions when going outside such as wearing masks, it said.
Hsinchu County Commissioner Yang Wen-ke (楊文科) visited the scene and expressed his condolences in a post on Facebook.
Additional reporting from CNA
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