A suspected gas explosion tore through two restaurants in New Taipei City's Banciao District (板橋) early today, injuring five passersby and damaging nearby buildings, local police and firefighters said.
The blast occurred at about 12:57am in a shared second-floor kitchen used by Teishoku 8 and Sushi Express on Lane 12, Chongqing Road, in the district's busy Fuzhong commercial area.
Photo courtesy of the New Taipei City Fire Department
The explosion sent glass and debris flying onto the street, hitting five passersby — four women and one man, said the New Taipei City Fire Department, which dispatched 29 vehicles and 88 emergency personnel to the scene.
One of the women declined medical attention, while the other four people were sent to Shuang Ho Hospital and Far Eastern Memorial Hospital for treatment, authorities said.
A resident in the area was also taken to a hospital after she reported feeling ill, authorities said, adding that none of the five people required hospitalization.
Local police and firefighters suspect that the blast was caused by a gas explosion, which occurred after the two restaurants had closed at about 9:30pm yesterday and the last employee had left half an hour later.
Firefighters later found four gas cylinders at the scene.
The damage from the blast extended to an estimated 174m² inside the two restaurants, authorities said, adding that the cause of the explosion is being investigated.
New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), who inspected the site this morning, said that at least six homes in the area had reported damage, but the exact number would be confirmed pending structural assessments.
Engineers and district officials would conduct door-to-door inspections, and a task force has been set up to help affected residents seek compensation, he added.
The Fuzhong streets, some of which had been cordoned off after the blast, were cleaned up and reopened before commute time this morning, the fire department said.
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