Residents in 13 neighborhoods in Kaohsiung have been advised to stay indoors and close their windows, due to pollution following a fire yesterday morning at a lithium-ion battery cell factory in Siaogang District (小港), Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said.
Molie Quantum Energy Corp’s lithium-ion battery cell factory had a fire incident early yesterday morning, and air quality tests at about 10am showed trace amounts of hydrogen fluoride, an irritant that could affect the respiratory system, skin and eyes, he said.
The Kaohsiung Fire Bureau received an alert at 5:15am and dispatched firefighters to the scene by 5:20am, Chen said.
Photo courtesy of the Kaohsiung Fire Bureau
Twelve of the company’s employees sustained abrasions and three firefighters had minor burns. All have been taken to hospitals for treatment.
The cause of the incident is yet to be investigated.
It was the finished product zone and the processing area that had caught on fire, Chen said.
Those living in nearby areas have been sent text alerts, and told to limit outdoor activities and wear a face mask if they go outside, he said.
The neighborhoods which are 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 smaller than 2.5 micrometers (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 no toxic gases or hazardous chemicals were detected, the plant would be fined NT$100,000 to NT$5 million (US$3,413 and US$170,672) under the Air Pollution Control Act (空氣污染防制法) due to improper management, the bureau said.
TCC Group Holdings Co, the parent company of Molie Quantum Energy, said the fire originated from a warehouse storing semi-finished battery products.
The plant’s automatic sprinkler system was activated immediately to help contain the blaze, the TCC Group said in a statement.
The fire was quickly controlled, and all employees were evacuated, it said, adding that those who were injured have since been released from the hospital.
The group 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 employees’ well being, implement health checks and offer follow-up support.
Additional reporting by Wang Jung-hsiang
See FIFTEEN on page 9
Eight restaurants in Taiwan yesterday secured a one-star rating from the Michelin Guide Taiwan for the first time, while three one-star restaurants from last year’s edition were promoted to two stars. Forty-three restaurants were awarded one star this year, including 34 in Taipei, five in Taichung and four in Kaohsiung. Hosu (好嶼), Chuan Ya (川雅), Sushi Kajin (鮨嘉仁), aMaze (心宴), La Vie by Thomas Buhner, Yuan Yi (元一) and Frassi in Taipei and Front House (方蒔) in Kaohsiung received a one-star rating for the first time. Hosu is known for innovative Taiwanese dishes, while Chuan Ya serves Sichuan cuisine and aMaze specializes
STATS: Taiwan’s average life expectancy of 80.77 years was lower than that of Japan, Singapore and South Korea, but higher than in China, Malaysia and Indonesia Taiwan’s average life expectancy last year increased to 80.77 years, but was still not back to its pre-COVID-19 pandemic peak of 81.32 years in 2020, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. The average life expectancy last year increased the 0.54 years from 2023, the ministry said in a statement. For men and women, the average life expectancy last year was 77.42 years and 84.30 years respectively, up 0.48 years and 0.56 years from the previous year. Taiwan’s average life expectancy peaked at 81.32 years in 2020, as the nation was relatively unaffected by the pandemic that year. The metric
Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. (THSRC) plans to ease strained capacity during peak hours by introducing new fare rules restricting passengers traveling without reserved seats in 2026, company Chairman Shih Che (史哲) said Wednesday. THSRC needs to tackle its capacity issue because there have been several occasions where passengers holding tickets with reserved seats did not make it onto their train in stations packed with individuals traveling without a reserved seat, Shih told reporters in a joint interview in Taipei. Non-reserved seats allow travelers maximum flexibility, but it has led to issues relating to quality of service and safety concerns, especially during
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck Chiayi County at 4:37pm today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 36.3km southeast of Chiayi County Hall at a depth of 10.4km, CWA data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage resulting from the quake. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Chiayi County, Tainan and Kaohsiung on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Chiayi City and Yunlin County, while it was measured as 2 in Pingtung, Taitung, Hualien, Changhua, Nantou and Penghu counties, the data