A massive fire broke out at Taoyuan’s Nanmen Market (南門市場) last night, destroying an estimated two-thirds of the historic facility and affecting hundreds of stalls.
The blaze was reported at 9:35pm yesterday at the market, an iron structure on the ground floor of No. 65 Wenhua Street.
The Taoyuan Fire Department deployed 79 firefighters, 35 fire trucks and two ambulances to the scene.
Photo copied by Cheng Shu-ting, Taipei Times
An 83-year-old man surnamed Liu (劉) was safely rescued and did not require medical attention.
No casualties were reported as of press time.
Witnesses reported intense flames, thick smoke, sounds of explosions and strong odors.
The fire was extinguished at about 1:20am today, affecting an estimated 3,000m².
The fire spread across about two-thirds of the total structure, Taoyuan Mayor Simon Chang (張善政) said when inspecting the scene this morning.
About 50 interior stalls were destroyed, with a total of about 700 stalls affected, he said.
Only some businesses located at the rear of the market were able to operate today, he said.
An emergency meeting was held by the Taoyuan Department of Economic Development to address the crisis, including plans to temporarily suspend rent collection and formulate subsidies for vendors.
The government is to temporarily halt rent collection for affected vendors and launch a subsidy program, Chang said.
Vendors are to be relocated to other venues until the market is rebuilt, he said.
Stall usage fees, ranging from NT$900 to NT$2,550, are to be waived for this month, the city government said.
Vendors can apply to the local district office for emergency relief funds, it added.
The local government is to launch a comprehensive fire safety inspection of all other public and registered private markets, it said.
The Taoyuan Fire Department is also to conduct a fire investigation, followed by a professional technical assessment to determine the market’s structural safety, it said.
The public retail market, established in 1951, is one of the oldest traditional markets in Taoyuan District (桃園).
Additional reporting by Cheng Shu-ting
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