A preliminary investigation into the cause of a fire that partially destroyed Grass Mountain Chateau on Saturday found that the blaze was probably lit by arsonists, the Taipei City Fire Department said yesterday.
Traces of light aromatics, one of the ingredients of gasoline, were found on the northwest side of the chateau's restaurant and evidence indicated the fire began outdoors and spread into the building, Fire Department Commissioner Hsiung Kuang-hua (
"Light aromatics were found over one-third of the area where the fire started. It was very likely arson, but we need more evidence to prove it," Hsiung told a press conference at the department yesterday.
Hsiung said the department had not found any items at the fire's source that could have started the blaze, such as electronic devices or cigarettes, which also led them to suspect arson.
"The fire became fierce and burned down a large part of the chateau in only 15 minutes. A small area of origin for a fire should not cause such a big blaze, and so we suspect the fire was caused by a foreign substance," Hsiung said.
Commenting on the preliminary investigation results, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) expressed sadness that the destruction may have been a caused by arsonists and urged the public not to damage monuments.
"Grass Mountain Chateau is a historical monument. It's okay to criticize a historical figure, but please do not shift the anger to the monument. It's innocent," Hau said yesterday at Taipei City Hall.
The chateau, located in Yangmingshan National Park, was built in 1920 as a vacation home for Japan's Prince Hirohito and later became a summer retreat for dictator Chiang Kai-shek (
Hau said he had demanded the police department investigate the possible arson case.
The police department said it was investigating but did not have any suspects at this stage.
The buildings main exhibition hall, with an area of about 660m2, and the exhibits inside the chateau were destroyed in the fire, prompting pan-blue camp members to express suspicion that the blaze might be related to the Democratic Progressive Party's recent anti-Chiang campaign.
Commissioner of Taipei Department of Cultural Affairs Lee Yong-ping (
The department will invite academics and architecture experts to inspect the chateau today to discuss the restoration, Lee said.
The cost of restoring the chateau to match its original architecture, together with the cost of remaking replicas of its exhibits, could total NT$36 million (US$1 million).
Hong Kong singer Andy Lau’s (劉德華) concert in Taipei tonight has been cancelled due to Typhoon Kong-rei and is to be held at noon on Saturday instead, the concert organizer SuperDome said in a statement this afternoon. Tonight’s concert at Taipei Arena was to be the first of four consecutive nightly performances by Lau in Taipei, but it was called off at the request of Taipei Metro, the operator of the venue, due to the weather, said the organizer. Taipei Metro said the concert was cancelled out of consideration for the audience’s safety. The decision disappointed a number of Lau’s fans who had
A tropical depression east of the Philippines became a tropical storm early yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, less than a week after a typhoon barreled across the nation. The agency issued an advisory at 3:30am stating that the 22nd tropical storm, named Yinxing, of the Pacific typhoon season formed at 2am. As of 8am, the storm was 1,730km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, with a 100km radius. It was moving west-northwest at 32kph, with maximum sustained winds of 83kph and gusts of up to 108kph. Based on its current path, the storm is not expected to hit Taiwan, CWA
Commuters in Taipei picked their way through debris and navigated disrupted transit schedules this morning on their way to work and school, as the city was still working to clear the streets in the aftermath of Typhoon Kong-rey. By 11pm yesterday, there were estimated 2,000 trees down in the city, as well as 390 reports of infrastructure damage, 318 reports of building damage and 307 reports of fallen signs, the Taipei Public Works Department said. Workers were mobilized late last night to clear the debris as soon as possible, the department said. However, as of this morning, many people were leaving messages
A Canadian dental assistant was recently indicted by prosecutors after she was caught in August trying to smuggle 32kg of marijuana into Taiwan, the Aviation Police Bureau said on Wednesday. The 30-year-old was arrested on Aug. 4 after arriving on a flight to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Chang Tsung-lung (張驄瀧), a squad chief in the Aviation Police Bureau’s Criminal Investigation Division, told reporters. Customs officials noticed irregularities when the woman’s two suitcases passed through X-ray baggage scanners, Chang said. Upon searching them, officers discovered 32.61kg of marijuana, which local media outlets estimated to have a market value of more than NT$50 million (US$1.56
RSS