46 People Killed After Fire Tears Through 13-Story Residential Building In Taiwan

Authorities say a massive fire broke out in a building in southern Taiwan on Thursday, killing at least 46 people and injuring dozens more.

iexclusive News Nigeria reports that according to Taiwan’s official Central News Agency,(CNA). the fire started at 2:54 a.m. local time (2:54 p.m. ET) in the 13-story commercial and residential building in Kaohsiung city’s Yancheng district.

According to a representative for the Kaohsiung city fire bureau, rescue operations are still ongoing, with more than 377 rescue professionals deployed to the scene. According to him, at least 41 individuals have been injured.

Authorities first put the death toll at seven, but municipal fire chief Lee Ching-hsiu warned that more people could be trapped in the residential section of the building, between the seventh and eleventh stories, and that further deaths were likely.

According to CNA, 139 fire trucks and ambulances were dispatched to the scene and the fire was put out by 7:17 a.m. (7:17 p.m. ET). At least 62 persons ranging in age from 8 to 83 had been rescued by midday.

According to CNA, the building houses over 100 individuals, many of them are senior citizens with physical limitations.

According to CNA, the cause of the fire is unknown. According to the article, local police are studying CCTV footage and have stated that they cannot rule out human factors.

CNA quoted Lee as saying. The fire happened overnight; the bulk of residents were old; the stairwells were full with rubbish; and the building materials did not fulfill fire safety regulations, resulting in a significant number of victims.

On October 14, in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, the outer walls of a residential structure are scorched in the aftermath of a fire.

At a news conference later that evening, Kaohsiung mayor Chen Chi-mai apologized.

He said that the building’s first six levels were designed for business use, while the seventh and above floors were designed for dwelling.

While the first six floors no longer housed any companies, they did contain a variety of flammable objects.

According to Chen, one of the key causes for the high number of casualties was because of this. In a Facebook message,

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen extended her “deepest condolences” to the fire victims.

Tsai stated that her government will “put out the greatest effort” to save those who are trapped, rehouse individuals displaced by the fires, and provide appropriate aid to victims’ families.

“As a result of this tragic event, we offer our heartfelt condolences to the victims and wish the injured a swift recovery,” she wrote on Thursday afternoon local time.

CNN