Explosion in Taichung City department store leaves 4 dead, 26 injured

At least four people died and 26 were injured after a suspected gas explosion in a department store in Taichung City, today, Wednesday, February 13.
According to reports, a massive explosion occurred on the 12th floor of the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store at 11:33 am. Video footage uploaded to social media showed the floor-to-ceiling windows on several floors blowing out and falling onto the street below.
Among the dead and injured were a family of seven visiting from Macau. The family were passing by outside the store when debris fell, killing two grandparents, leaving a two-year-old and her mother seriously injured, and three other family members with light to moderate injuries.
The two other deceased were a male worker named Chen, 34, and a female employee of the department store, named Lin, 24. Both were close to the site of the initial explosion.
According to the preliminary investigation, the explosion appears to have occurred in the 12th floor food court where renovations were being carried out. Fortunately, the restaurants were closed for the renovations, and only a convenience store and ice-cream vendor were open to the public.
Taichung City Mayor Lu Shiu-yen announced this afternoon that the department store was ordered to remain closed for business until investigations into the cause of the accident is completed and the structural integrity of the building is confirmed.


Taiwan English News is an independent publication with no corporate funding. If you found this article informative, and would like to support my work, please buy me a coffee or support me on Patreon. Subscribe to Taiwan English News for free to receive the latest news via email. Advertising queries are welcome. Share, like, comment below.
Discover more from Taiwan English News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.