A family of three died when a gas explosion tore through their three-story residence, and a man in a neighboring house also died in the resulting fire, in the early hours of the morning today, September 19. The Taichung City Fire Bureau responded to emergency reports about an explosion in Longjing District at 4:17 am. Firefighters brought two fires under control by 5:08 am, only to find the charred remains of four people. In the house where the blast occurred,
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Two dead, two missing after “abnormal” water release at Taipower dam floods campsite
Search and rescue personnel found two bodies and are searching for two missing people, after five members of a camping group were washed away by a flash flood caused by an accidental release of water from a dam in Nantou County this morning, September 13. Staff at Taipower’s Daguan Power Plant said that a sluice gate on the Wujie Dam automatically opened at 4:12 pm for an unknown reason. Staff noticed the abnormality shortly after 5:00 am, and closed the
Read moreNine injured in Taichung City restaurant gas explosion
Nine people were injured after a gas explosion in a beef noodle restaurant in Taichung City this evening, June 23. Shortly before 6:00 pm, two explosions blasted the restaurant near the intersection of Fenghe and Liming Roads in Nantun District, sending shards of glass across the road, injuring staff, customers, people passing by on the street, and even injuring one person at another noodle restaurant on the other side of the road. The Taichung City fire bureau received reports of
Read moreAt least 5 dead, 50 injured after KTV fire in Taipei City: Alarms and sprinkler system were switched off
Fifty four people were sent to hospital, and 5 have been declared dead after a fire at a popular KTV in Taipei City today, April 26. The Taipei City Fire Department dispatched 56 fire appliances, 23 ambulances, and 192 personnel to the Party World KTV on Linsen North Road in Zhongshan District after the fire was reported shortly before 11:00 am. According to the preliminary investigation, the fire broke out on the 5th floor of the 14-storey building, trapping people
Read moreAir Force Black Hawk helicopter carrying high-ranking officers crashes: 8 dead, 5 survivors
Eight people are dead, including the chief of armed forces in Taiwan, and other high ranking officers, after an Air Force Black Hawk helicopter crashed in a mountainous area of Wulai District, New Taipei City, this morning, January 2. Ministry of Defense (MOD) spokesperson Shi Shunwen told reporters that Chief of the General Staff Shen Yi-ming (沈一鳴) and his entourage were on their way to Dong’ao, Yilan when they lost contact. The UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, carrying a total of
Read more7 dead after arsonist sets fire to Buddhist commune
Seven people died and three were injured after a deliberately lit fire engulfed a building housing members of a Buddhist sect in Tainan City in the early hours of the morning today, December 14. The Tainan City Fire Department received reports of the fire in the rural Yujing District at around 1:20am. Eleven fire appliances and 21 personnel were dispatched to the three-storey building housing 46 members of a Buddhist commune. The fire was brought under control at around 3:15,
Read morePolice seek suspected arsonist after fire in Taipei City sees 4 injured, 500 people evacuated
Taipei City police are attempting to identify a man suspected of arson after a fire engulfed four ground floor businesses in a 12-storey mixed commercial and residential building in Taipei City this morning, December 7. According to reports, around 500 people were evacuated, 134 were rescued by firefighters, and four people were treated in hospital after a fire broke out on Linsen North Road at around 8:45am. Taipei City Fire Department dispatched 35 fire appliances, 7 ambulances, and 107 firefighters
Read moreFour family members perish in fire, trapped by burglar bars
Four people died in a three-storey family residence after being unable to escape a fire that broke out on the first floor this morning in Pingtung County. Firefighters rushed to the scene of the fire after receiving reports of a residential fire in Neipu Township at around 5:40am. Firefighters used saws to cut through the first floor garage door to gain entry to the house, while ladders were used to rescue two girls from the third floor at the rear
Read moreBridge collapses in Yilan County, 12 injured, 5 missing
A bridge spanning a harbor in Yilan County collapsed this morning, October 1, crushing fishing boats moored below it, and leaving crew members trapped or injured. At around 9:30am, a fuel tanker was passing over the 140 meter long Nanfang’ao Bridge when the bridge suddenly collapsed. Video footage of the incident shows the tanker passing the center of the bridge when a suspension cable suddenly snaps and the deck collapses. The bridge collapsed onto three fishing boats moored below, leaving
Read more3 workers injured after roadworks sewer-gas explosion in New Taipei City
Three workers were injured, two cars damaged, and a McDonald’s fast food restaurant suffered broken windows and a damaged ceiling after an explosion Banqiao District this morning, April 26. According to reports, at around 8:45am, workers on a sidewalk and sewer improvement project, at the intersection of Duxing Road and Xicheng Road, were drilling into the ground when flammable gases in the sewer ignited, blowing a manhole cover into the air, and spraying chunks of broken pavement into nearby buildings
Read moreMagnitude 6.1 earthquake shakes Taiwan
Breaking news: updates expected. A 6.1 magnitude shallow earthquake centered in Hualien County shook the whole island of Taiwan in the early afternoon, injuring two, and causing minor damage to some roads and buildings today, April 18. Two people were injured, including a Malaysian tourist, when rocks tumbled onto a hiking trail in Hualien County’s Taroko Gorge. Train services stopped on the east coast railway line, Taipei Metro, and the High Speed Rail, according to standard operating procedures as track inspections are
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