A fire broke out at a chemical fiber factory in Hsinchu County in the early hours of yesterday, claiming the lives of two people and injuring 19, according to Far Eastern New Century Corp, which runs the plant.
The fire at the plant in Sinpu Township (新埔) was reported at 2:53am yesterday. Although firefighters rushed to scene and the blaze was extinguished at about 3:30am, two lives were lost, the company said.
One factory worker was pronounced dead at the site, after they had an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), it said.
Photo: Huang Mei-chu, Taipei Times
Another employee, who also had an OHCA, was rushed to hospital, but was pronounced dead, the Hsinchu County Fire Bureau said.
Five people were severely injured in the fire, while 14 others sustained minor injuries, Far Eastern said, adding that it would provide assistance to the families of the deceased and those who were injured.
The fire was caused by a leak in an insulation pipe, which had resulted in a gas explosion, the company said.
The plant remains operational, with a daily manufacturing output of approximately 160 tonnes of chemical fiber, which means production has not been significantly affected by the fire, the company added.
Residents in the area said that the incident yesterday was the fifth fire at the factory since 2019.
The plant constantly emits foul odors, causing air pollution, and is seen as a ticking time bomb, they said.
It was scary, residents said.
According to residents, they heard a loud bang in the early hours of yesterday and thought it was an earthquake.
A few minutes later, they said they heard sirens and realized that there was a fire or an explosion nearby, as firetrucks and ambulances began arriving.
The Hsinchu County Fire Bureau said that a fleet of 29 vehicles carrying 60 firefighters was dispatched to the scene at about 3am yesterday, a few minutes after the fire was reported.
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