Three people were killed and another injured in a fire at a furniture factory in Taichung’s Situn District (西屯) yesterday morning.
The factory owner, a 70-year-old man surnamed Kuo (郭), survived with second-degree burns covering about 30 percent of his body, and is being treated at Taichung Veterans General Hospital.
His 68-year-old wife, surnamed Feng (馮), their 31-year-old son, and Kuo’s 51-year-old nephew, surnamed Cheng (鄭), did not survive.
Photo: Tsai Meng-chuan, Taipei Times
The couple had moved into the factory after Feng had a stroke, so that her son could better take care of her, Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) told reporters.
The two-story tall factory, which manufactured sofa frames, had a significant amount of flammable material, which worsened the fire and made rescue efforts challenging, Taichung Fire Bureau Director-General Sun Fu-You (孫福佑) said.
The fire spread to two warehouses, covering an area of about 2,000m2 and causing losses of more than NT$2 million (US$62,819).
The fire broke out at about 5am and was not controlled until 7:14am, before being extinguished at 9:01am, Sun said.
Family members and neighbors who rushed to the scene told reporters that Kuo, a former adviser to a neighborhood watch group, and Feng had raised five children.
The night of the fire, Kuo was sleeping in the front reception area, which enabled him to escape more easily, while his son was in the back room caring for his ailing mother.
Lu expressed his condolences to the family, while directing government agencies to provide support.
In the immediate aftermath of the blaze, downwind areas reported elevated levels of PM2.5 (particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometers or smaller in diameter). The Department of Environmental Protection lifted the air pollution alert at about noon yesterday.
The 500m2 factory opened in 2016, but from March 2022 to August this year was under a supervised improvement plan, the Taichung Economic Development Bureau said.
It was originally unlicensed, but was later certified under a program to register unlicensed businesses.
At the time of the fire, it was not in operation and was being used as a storage warehouse.
Kuo was modernizing the factory’s fire prevention systems, such as installing fire extinguishers and emergency exit lights, and environmental protection capabilities, before the blaze occurred.
The fire bureau said it passed an inspection in November last year.
Additional reporting by CNA
Tropical depression TD22, which was over waters south of the Ryukyu Islands, is likely to develop into a tropical storm by this morning and pose a significant threat to Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The depression is likely to strengthen into a tropical storm named Krathon as it moves south and then veers north toward waters off Taiwan’s eastern coast, CWA forecaster Hsu Chung-yi (徐仲毅) said. Given the favorable environmental conditions for its development, TD22’s intensity would reach at least typhoon levels, Hsu said. As of 2pm yesterday, the tropical depression was about 610km east-southeast of Taiwan proper’s
RESTRICTIONS: All food items imported from the five prefectures must be accompanied by radiation and origin certificates, and undergo batch-by-batch inspection The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday announced that almost all produce from five Japanese prefectures affected by the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster would now be allowed into Taiwan. The five are Fukushima, Gunma, Chiba, Ibaraki and Tochigi. The only items that would still be blocked from being imported into the nation are those that are still banned from being circulated in Japan, the FDA added. With the removal of the ban, items including mushrooms, the meat of wild birds and other wild animals, and koshiabura” (foraged vegetables) would now be permitted to enter Taiwan, along with the other
A new tropical storm is expected to form by early tomorrow morning, potentially developing into a medium-strength typhoon that is to affect Taiwan through Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration said today. There are currently two tropical systems circulating to the east of Taiwan, agency forecaster Hsu Chung-yi (徐仲毅) said. The one currently north of Guam developed into Tropical Storm Gebi this afternoon and is expected to veer toward Japan without affecting Taiwan, Hsu said. Another tropical depression is 600km from the east coast and is likely to develp into the named storm Krathon either late tonight or early tomorrow, he said. This
Typhoon Krathon, a military airshow and rehearsals for Double Ten National Day celebrations might disrupt flights at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in the first 10 days of next month, the airport’s operator said yesterday. Taoyuan International Airport Corp said in a statement that it has established a response center after the Central Weather Administration issued a sea warning for Krathon, and urged passengers to remain alert to the possibility of disruptions caused by the storm in the coming days. Flight schedules might also change while the air force conducts rehearsals and holds a final airshow for Double Ten National Day, it added. Although