Nine people died Thursday in a fire at a hospital in southern Taiwan, firefighters announced. The fire broke out early Thursday morning, around 7:40 a.m., in Pingtung County and was extinguished by firefighters around 1 p.m., the same source said.
Eight victims were pronounced dead after being evacuated for treatment, and a ninth person was found dead at the scene, according to firefighters.
An image released by the county shows a red and orange fireball surrounded by thick smoke, with what appears to be a stream of water directed toward the fire. Another image shows firefighters in protective gear and their equipment at the scene of the tragedy.
The county government said an investigation was launched to determine the causes of the fire and firefighters were continuing search and rescue operations.
In October 2021, flames devoured several floors of a dilapidated 13-story apartment building for hours in Kaohsiung, killing 46 people and injuring 41. According to authorities, the fire started when a woman left burning ashes on a sofa before leaving the building. She was charged with murder and arson, but escaped the death penalty.
The fire broke out the same day Typhoon Krathon made landfall in the south of the island, but Taiwanese authorities have not made a link between the two events.
Krathon forced the authorities to close schools and administrations for a second day. Powerful winds and heavy rain left two people dead and more than 100 injured.
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