firefighters

Explosion, fire in house exposes illicit drug factory in Tainan City

house exterior and interior composite image
Drugs 
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Firefighters called to a fire in a house in Tainan City last month, uncovered an illicit drug manufacturing operation, police revealed today, December 22. Nearby residents reported an explosion and fire in the house in Jiali District at around 4:00 pm, November 24. The Tainan City Fire Department dispatched 15 vehicles and 31 personnel to the scene of the fire. Firefighters found the house unoccupied, and bare of furniture, but filled with chemical containers and laboratory equipment. The fire was

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Elderly woman attacked by giant hornets while trapped on narrow ledge 7 floors up

elderly woman stuck on ledge on edge of building
Health and Safety 
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An elderly woman in Yilan City accidentally locked herself out while hanging clothes outside a 7th-floor window, then got stuck on a narrow ledge and was attacked by a swarm of Asian giant hornets, today, September 5. The 80-year-old woman named Wang was trying to climb back into her apartment through a window when she accidentally touched an Asian giant hornet nest and was stung all over her body. Neighbors were alerted by Wang’s cries for help, and called 119

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Four dead including one firefighter in COVID quarantine hotel fire

firetrucks at scene of quarantine hotel fire in Changhua City
Fire 
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Four people died, including one firefighter, and 22 people were injured after a fire in a building housing a quarantine hotel in Changhua City last night, June 30. A fire broke out on the second floor of the 15-storey Qiaoyou Building at around 7:45 pm. Twenty-nine people under mandatory quarantine, and two employees were in the hotel on the 7th to 9th floors when the fire broke out. Changhua County Fire Department received the first reports of the fire at

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Firefighters spend two hours rescuing rabbit from roof, but criticized for lack of efficiency

rabbit on roof
Animals 
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Firefighters in Kaohsiung City faced a challenging mission after being called to rescue a pet rabbit trapped on an awning three floors high, Friday night. Not only did the firefighters have to deal with a rascally rabbit, the neighborhood warden kept shouting instructions, and making demands on the emergency responders, while complaining about their lack of efficiency. Kaohsiung City Fire Bureau received a report about the rabbit at around 8:00 pm, February 21, and firefighters arrived at the scene in

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One firefighter dead, 4 injured after collision in Kaohsiung City

firefighters rescue colleagues after traffic accident in Kaohsiung City
Traffic Accidents 
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A Kaohsiung City firefighter lost signs of life at the scene of an accident, and four others were injured, after a fire truck dispatched to the scene of a fire collided with a semi-trailer, last night, February 13. Five firefighters were aboard the fire truck, dispatched from the Fengxiang Fire Station to Dingpu Street in Fengshan District at around 10:00 pm when the accident occurred. Dash-cam footage provided by a witness to local media agencies showed the firetruck, with sirens

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Firefighter hospitalized after being bitten by venomous pit viper

venomous formosan pit viper caught in Keelung City after biting firefighter
Animals 
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A firefighter was treated with antivenom, and kept under observation, after after being bitten by a venomous brown-spotted pit viper while on snake-catching duties in a mountainous area of Keelung City today, November 27. The Keelung City Fire Department received an emergency 119 call from the owner of a guesthouse at around 12:30pm, reporting a snake was spotted in a bathroom. Two firefighters, officers Lu and Zeng, were dispatched from the Zhongzheng District Fire Station to take care of the

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Firefighters rescue 13 people from residential building fire in New Taipei City

A firefighter rescues a baby in New Taipei City
Fire 
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Firefighters carried babies and elderly people out of a building after a fire in Banqiao District affected 17 households this morning, April 17. A total of 34 people were evacuated from the six-storey building, of whom 13 required rescue after being trapped. One family was trapped for 20 minutes until firefighters finally reached them, and helped carry 2 infants out of the apartment. Ten of the residents were sent to hospital for precautionary check-ups and treatment for light injuries. Firefighters

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Firefighters Exhausted after Fighting Fire in Junk-filled Residence

Fire 
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[Picture: “I am Yonghe” Facebook group] Two upstairs residents were hospitalized with smoke inhalation injuries after a junk-filled residence went up in flames in the middle of the night, proving a headache for firefighters who found it difficult to get to the source of the fire. Residents of Fu-he Road in Yonghe District, New Taipei City, woke up this morning to find their street piled with rubbish and charred pieces of junk pulled out of the home by exhausted firefighters.

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12 Year-old Girl Rescued: Firefighter Dies in the Line of Duty

firefighter who lost his life in Kaohsiung City
Fire 
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Firefighters rescued a girl trapped in a residence on fire in Kaohsiung today, but one firefighter lost his life due to smoke inhalation. At around 11:40am this morning, the fire department received reports of a fire at a 4 storey house in Qieding District of Kaohsiung City. According to reports in Apple Daily and other Chinese language media sources, the fire started in a kitchen, and was not intense, but generated a lot of smoke. When firefighters arrived at the

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21 Year-old Firefighter Dies Fighting Factory Fire

Fire 
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A young firefighter was found dead by colleagues after entering a factory on fire in Hsinchu County this afternoon. The firefighter was wearing breathing apparatus at the time, and the cause of death has not been established. At around 2:00pm, 21 year-old Lin Yongxuan (林永軒) was on the third floor of the 7 floor factory with another firefighter and a member of staff of Solartech Energy Corp. According to media reports, Lin’s colleague left to replenish his air tank, and

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Firefighters Complain About Snake and Bee Duties

A firefighter in a protective suit removes a swarm of Asian Giant Hornets from a residence in Taiwan.
Society 
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Firefighters are again protesting that taking care of snakes, bees, and hornets, falls under the jurisdiction of the agricultural bureau, and shouldn’t be the responsibility of local Fire Departments. Firefighters first brought the issue up earlier this year, and became more vocal after a 30 year-old firefighter was bitten by a venomous snake in August, and had to have a finger amputated to save his life. Last month, a group of firefighters threw rubber snakes into the courtyard at the

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