The Pingtung District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday indicted four people over their alleged involvement in a hospital fire in October 2024 that killed nine in Pingtung County.
The fire, in Block D at Antai Tian-Sheng Memorial Hospital in Donggang Township (東港), began in the power supply center and spread rapidly to the upper floors, killing eight bedridden patients and one hospital employee.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Su Ching-chuan (蘇清泉), who founded the hospital, was among those indicted.
Photo: Chen Yen-ting, Taipei Times
Along with Su’s elder brother, hospital head of general affairs Su Wei-sung (蘇威菘), the legislator allegedly illegally expanded the power supply center to five floors without applying for a permit, prosecutors said.
The two were indicted on suspected contraventions of the Building Act (建築法) resulting in death.
A technician surnamed Cheng (鄭) was indicted for negligence resulting in death, after he improperly used an extension cord while addressing flooding caused by Typhoon Krathon, allegedly leading to a short circuit that sparked the fire.
A safety inspector surnamed Kuo (郭), who was responsible for the hospital's fire safety inspection reporting, knew the upper floors were illegal, but failed to report them, prosecutors said.
Kuo was indicted yesterday on suspicion of submitting false inspection certifications.
The office in August last year granted deferred prosecution to the four defendants, although the Kaohsiung branch of the High Prosecutors’ Office in October sent the case back for further investigation, saying that it had not been handled appropriately and was a major public safety incident.
Pingtung prosecutors reopened the case, resulting in yesterday’s indictment.
All four have already reached settlements with the families of the deceased.
The investigation found that when Block D of the hospital was completed in 2005, its floor-area ratio was already at the legal limit, and was not eligible for further expansion permits.
Su Ching-chuan and Su Wei-sung nevertheless added five floors above the power-supply center and extended the structure to connect with Block D without obtaining approval from health and building authorities, and failing to reach the legally required fire-separation distance, prosecutors said.
The illegal addition to Block D has since been demolished, but unauthorized structures connecting Block A, B and C remain, meaning that the hospital still fails to meet fire safety regulations, they added.
Speaking to reporters today, Su Ching-chuan said that he has been cooperating with the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the county government to implement gradual improvements.
He added that he respects the prosecutors' findings and would face the judicial process with bravery and humility.
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