BEIJING –
A fireplace and subsequent explosions at a golf ball manufacturing facility in southern Taiwan killed not less than 5 folks and injured greater than 100 others, and 5 persons are nonetheless lacking.
The fireplace started on Friday night time on the manufacturing facility in Pingtung county and raged in a single day. Three firefighters have been among the many useless, authorities stated.
Rescuers have been nonetheless on the lookout for 4 manufacturing facility employees and one firefighter who remained unaccounted for, officers stated.
Greater than 100 folks have been taken to the hospital with accidents.
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in a speech in Taipei on Saturday expressed her condolences to the households of the victims and stated she would journey to Pingtung to go to these affected by the catastrophe, in response to Taiwanese information outlet Focus Taiwan.
Tsai stated the Pingtung county authorities had arrange an emergency operation centre to supply help to these impacted by the hearth.
Chou Chun-mi, Justice of the Peace of Pingtung county, stated in a Fb publish that the reason for the hearth was nonetheless underneath investigation.
“Going through the grief of the members of the family, I couldn’t say something besides to bow deeply, apologize, and specific my deepest condolences,” she stated within the publish, after visiting the funeral house and assembly with victims’ households.
Authorities stated that pure fuel could have contributed to the explosions, which occurred as firefighters have been trying to place out the hearth.