A gas explosion at a kitchen run by Shan An Co (膳安公司) — which specializes in producing food for new mothers under the brand name Yu Shan Fang (玉膳坊) — caused extensive damage and injured 12 people in New Taipei’s Wugu District (五股) yesterday, investigators said.
New Taipei City Fire Department investigators said they found 20 liquefied natural gas (LNG) cylinders in the basement.
Nine of the 50kg canisters were connected to the kitchen upstairs and thought to be in use at the time of the explosion, investigators said, adding that two were empty, and the other nine had either been disconnected or turned off.
Photo: CNA
The company is suspected of refilling the cylinders without a business permit, fire department official Chen Chih-wei (陳志瑋) said.
“Filling and distribution of gas cylinders can only be done by licensed businesses. We plan to focus our investigation on whether the company hired workers to fill containers with gas for use in the basement,” Chen said. “It is possible that valves or the pipes themselves leaked gas.”
“If illegal operations have taken place, we will fine the company,” he added.
Local media reports said that the company was able to store 900kg of LNGin the basement and it that had employed people to refill empty cylinders.
After the injured people were transported to nearby hospitals, investigators entered the basement, where they said they discovered an area of about 10m2 littered with gas cylinders and still ablaze.
A company employee reportedly told investigators that one of the cylinders was being refilled when a leak occurred and spark ignited an explosion.
Investigators were also reportedly trying to determine whether a gas leak might have resulted from a loose connector valve.
The injured people — five men and seven women — were taken to several hospitals in New Taipei City and Taipei, firefighters said.
A man in his 50s suffered 27 percent burns to his face, back and upper limbs and was rushed to New Taipei City Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, the firefighters said.
The man was in stable condition as of press time last night.
The other injuries were mostly lacerations, the firefighters said.
Additional reporting by CNA
AIR DEFENSE: The Norwegian missile system has proved highly effective in Ukraine in its war against Russia, and the US has recommended it for Taiwan, an expert said The Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) Taiwan ordered from the US would be installed in strategically important positions in Taipei and New Taipei City to guard the region, the Ministry of National Defense said in statement yesterday. The air defense system would be deployed in Taipei’s Songshan District (松山) and New Taipei City’s Tamsui District (淡水), the ministry said, adding that the systems could be delivered as soon as the end of this year. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency has previously said that three NASAMS would be sold to Taiwan. The weapons are part of the 17th US arms sale to
SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS: The suspects formed spy networks and paramilitary groups to kill government officials during a possible Chinese invasion, prosecutors said Prosecutors have indicted seven retired military officers, members of the Rehabilitation Alliance Party, for allegedly obtaining funds from China, and forming paramilitary groups and assassination squads in Taiwan to collaborate with Chinese troops in a possible war. The suspects contravened the National Security Act (國家安全法) by taking photos and drawing maps of key radar stations, missile installations and the American Institute in Taiwan’s headquarters in Taipei, prosecutors said. They allegedly prepared to collaborate with China during a possible invasion of Taiwan, prosecutors said. Retired military officer Chu Hung-i (屈宏義), 62, a Republic of China Army Academy graduate, went to China
INSURRECTION: The NSB said it found evidence the CCP was seeking snipers in Taiwan to target members of the military and foreign organizations in the event of an invasion The number of Chinese spies prosecuted in Taiwan has grown threefold over a four-year period, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said in a report released yesterday. In 2021 and 2022, 16 and 10 spies were prosecuted respectively, but that number grew to 64 last year, it said, adding that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was working with gangs in Taiwan to develop a network of armed spies. Spies in Taiwan have on behalf of the CCP used a variety of channels and methods to infiltrate all sectors of the country, and recruited Taiwanese to cooperate in developing organizations and obtaining sensitive information
BREAKTHROUGH: The US is making chips on par in yield and quality with Taiwan, despite people saying that it could not happen, the official said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) has begun producing advanced 4-nanometer (nm) chips for US customers in Arizona, US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said, a milestone in the semiconductor efforts of the administration of US President Joe Biden. In November last year, the commerce department finalized a US$6.6 billion grant to TSMC’s US unit for semiconductor production in Phoenix, Arizona. “For the first time ever in our country’s history, we are making leading edge 4-nanometer chips on American soil, American workers — on par in yield and quality with Taiwan,” Raimondo said, adding that production had begun in recent
RSS