Residents of 13 neighborhoods in Kaohsiung have been advised to stay indoors and close windows due to pollution following a fire this morning at a lithium-ion battery cell factory in Siaogang District (小港), Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said.
The warning zone has been expanded after Molie Quantum Energy Corp's lithium-ion battery cell factory set fire early this morning, he said.
Air quality tests at about 10am revealed trace amounts of hydrogen fluoride, an irritant that can affect the respiratory system, skin and eyes, Chen said.
Photo courtesy of the Kaohsiung Fire Bureau
The Kaohsiung Fire Bureau received an automatic alert at 5:15am and dispatched firefighters to the scene by 5:20am, who brought the fire under control.
Twelve of the company's employees sustained abrasions and three firefighters sustained minor burns.
All have been taken to hospitals for treatment.
The cause of the incident is yet to be investigated.
Both the finished product zone set fire and the processing area set alight, Chen said.
Those living in the affected areas have been sent text alerts and told to limit outdoor activities and wear a face mask if going outside, he added.
The neighborhoods under advisory warnings are in Siaogang, Sanmin (三民), Lingya (苓雅) and Renwu (仁武) districts.
The Kaohsiung Environmental Protection Bureau said it detected high levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the area this morning, but did not find any toxic gases or hazardous substances.
The wind is blowing in a southwesterly direction, with areas up to 6km downwind experiencing high PM2.5 concentrations, it said.
Although air quality sensors did not detect any toxic gases or hazardous chemicals, the bureau said the plant would be fined between NT$100,000 and NT$5 million (US$3,418 and US$170,908) under the Air Pollution Control Act (空氣污染防制法) due to improper management.
TCC Group Holdings Co, the parent company of Molie Quantum Energy, said the fire originated in a warehouse storing semi-finished battery products.
The plant's automatic sprinkler system was activated immediately to help contain the blaze, TCC Group said in a statement.
The fire was quickly brought under control, the company said, adding that all employees were evacuated and that those injured have since been released from the hospital and returned home.
It also apologized to nearby residents for the poor air quality, adding that it would fully comply with follow-up investigations and improve safety measures.
The company said it has a comprehensive insurance policy and is currently assessing the damage, adding that its human resources department has set up a task force to assess employee wellbeing following the fire, implement health checks and offer follow-up support.
Additional reporting by Wang Jung-hsiang
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday said it opposes the introduction of migrant workers from India until a mechanism is in place to prevent workers from absconding. Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) on Thursday told the Legislative Yuan that the first group of migrant workers from India could be introduced as early as this year, as part of a government program. The caucus’ opposition to the policy is based on the assessment that “the risk is too high,” KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) said. Taiwan has a serious and long-standing problem of migrant workers absconding from their contracts, indicating that
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
TRADE-OFF: Beijing seeks to trade a bowl of tempura for a Chinese delicacy, an official said, while another said its promises were attempts to interfere in the polls The government must carefully consider the national security implications of building a bridge connecting Kinmen County and Xiamen, China, the Public Construction Commission (PCC) said yesterday. PCC Commissioner Derek Chen (陳金德), who is also a minister without portfolio, made the remarks in a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, after Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsu Fu-kuei (徐富癸) asked about China’s proposal of new infrastructure projects to further connect Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties with Xiamen. China unveiled the bridge plan, along with nine other policies for Taiwan, on Sunday, the last day of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) visit
RSS