A fire raged through a 13-storey mixed-use building in Taiwan Thursday. In this incident, at least 46 people lost their lives, and another 41 sustained injuries. The government said that the fire incident took place in the southern city of Kaohsiung.
The building which is located in Kaohsiung’s Yancheng district was 40 years old. The fire started in the early hours of Thursday and it was extinguished by firefighters only after multiple floors had been ravaged.
As per the Kaohsiung fire department, they had finished the search of the building and were able to confirm 46 deaths.
In a statement, the department said that the fire caused 41 injuries and 46 deaths.
Most of the people who died are from seven to 11 floors, where residential apartments were located.
To fight the blaze, the fire department had deployed more than 70 trucks.
Mayor Chen Chi-Mai stated that the building was partly occupied when this fire incident happened. In the past, the building has karaoke lounges, restaurants, and a cinema hall as well.
According to the officials, the first five floors were for commercial use and they were unoccupied.
An investigation is running to find the cause of the massive fire.
Mayor Chen Chi-mai stated that the building was partly occupied when the fire incident took place. In the past, the building has hosted restaurants, karaoke lounges, and a cinema as well. Arson may also be the reason behind this.
Forensic teams are doing their duty and much more searching of the building will be carried out as a part of the investigation.
