Fire and explosions at golf ball factory kill at least five and injure 100

23 September 2023 , 11:05

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Firefighters entering the gutted building (Image: taiwanplusnews/Twitter)

A fire and subsequent explosions at a golf ball factory in southern Taiwan killed at least five people and injured more than 100 others, officials have said.

The fire began on Friday night at the factory in Pingtung county and raged overnight. Three firefighters were among the dead, authorities said, adding that rescuers were still looking for four factory workers and one firefighter who remained unaccounted for. More than 100 people were taken to hospital with injuries.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in a speech in Taipei on Saturday expressed her condolences to the families of the victims and said she would travel to Pingtung to visit those affected by the disaster, according to Taiwanese news outlet Focus Taiwan.

More than 100 people were injured in the blaze (taiwanplusnews/Twitter)

Ms Tsai said the Pingtung county government had set up an emergency operation centre to offer assistance to those impacted by the fire. Chou Chun-mi, magistrate of Pingtung county, said in a Facebook post that the cause of the fire was still under investigation.

"Facing the grief of the family members, I could not say anything except to bow deeply, apologise, and express my deepest condolences," she said in the post, after visiting the funeral home and meeting with victims' families. Authorities said that natural gas may have contributed to the explosions, which occurred as firefighters were attempting to put out the fire.

Holiday family return to find everything they own - even cat - destroyed in fire

Earlier this week, two young girls were killed and four more kids were left fighting for their lives after a house fire in Aurora, Colorado. The tragic incident unfolded at around 11.30pm Wednesday night. There were nine people in the house at the time and all were rushed to hospital - six in critical condition and three in urgent condition. Two later died with local reports suggesting it was two children. A dog was found in the house, a multi-story, single-family residence, and rescued.

A statement from Aurora Fire Rescue reads: "A total of nine occupants were located at the home. All were transported by AFR and Falck paramedics to local hospitals. Three of the victims were in urgent condition and six were transported in critical condition. The fire took the lives of two of the victims."

Ryan Fahey