On the evening of the 14th, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai bowed and apologized twice, emphasizing that he would not evade responsibility and formed an investigation team to find out and announce the cause of the accident as soon as possible and be responsible to the public.

html A fire accident in Kaohsiung's "city within a city building" in the early morning of 014 has killed 46 people and injured 41 others. According to a recent report by CCTV News, among the victims of the fire accident was a mainland compatriot who was a mainland spouse who married to Taiwan many years ago.

html On the evening of 14th, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Qimai bowed and apologized twice, emphasizing that he would not evade responsibility and formed an investigation team to find out and announce the cause of the accident as soon as possible and be responsible to the public.

Picture of the scene of the building where the incident occurred

Chen Qimai bowed at 90° and apologized

According to CCTV reports, after overseas mainland viewers saw relevant reports from China Central Radio and Television Station reporters in Taiwan, they contacted reporters from the China Central Radio and Television Station in the hope of finding their relatives. The viewer said that his cousin lived in the building where the accident occurred and had not been able to contact her, and hoped that the main station would help find relatives.

The Taiwanese reporter in Taiwan verified with the Kaohsiung City Fire Department and the funeral home, confirming that the family member of the viewer has been killed. The body is currently being stored at the Kaohsiung City No. 1 Funeral Home, waiting for family members to claim it. The funeral home stated that the victim was a mainland spouse who married to Taiwan many years ago.

At 2:54 a.m. on October 14, a fire broke out in the "city within a city" building in Yancheng District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Currently, 46 people are confirmed dead and 41 injured. This is the most fatal fire in Kaohsiung City since 1989.

Fire scene Source: Taiwanese media

According to Taiwan's " United News Network " report on the morning of the 15th, 25 bodies have been claimed by their families. Kaohsiung City Police Chief Huang Mingzhao said that the families of the other 21 bodies will be notified one after another. In addition, the appearance of the remains of two victims at the fire scene has been difficult to identify. The identity of one has been confirmed through DNA comparison, and the other will continue to be traced.

Chen Qimai said that the possibility of man-made arson cannot be ruled out. The police have previously brought back four suspects.

Taiwanese media reported on the morning of the 15th that the fire was suspected to have started in a small suite behind the antique tea set store on the first floor. The woman surnamed Huang who was in the house at that time was suspected of being a major suspect. The police found incense burners, iron cans and other evidence in the house.

The police interviewed relevant witnesses based on the images before and after the fire recorded in the Xinyancheng building opposite the city within the city. At about 2:40 yesterday morning, the taxi driver surnamed Liu returned to the entrance of the city within the city and noticed a burning smell. A fire broke out in a small suite behind the antique store on the first floor of the building, which exploded and shattered glass. After reviewing relevant images and visiting nearby residents, it was found that a man surnamed Guo (52 years old) and his girlfriend surnamed Huang (51 years old) lived in this room.

It is reported that Huang and Guo were suspected of having a dispute early yesterday morning. After Guo left on a motorcycle in anger, Huang and his friends continued to drink and burned sandalwood to repel mosquitoes; however, Huang was suspected of throwing the embers, which is not ruled out. This caused a fire.

The man surnamed Guo (middle) was taken back by the police. Source: United News Network

After the incident, the police brought back multiple witnesses, Huang and Guo to clarify the case. Huang first admitted that he had thrown incense ash, tin cans and other items into the trash can, but the fire resulted in casualties. Sadly, she later changed her tune. Guo claimed he had no knowledge of the cause of the fire.

The woman surnamed Huang (middle) was taken back by the police. Source: Lianhe News Network

According to reports, the city-in-city building that caught fire has a history of more than 40 years. It has 13 floors above ground and 2 floors underground. It is a mixed commercial and residential building. The first and second floors underground are unused, and the first to fifth floors above ground are unused. The building was abandoned, with about 120 households on the 7th to 11th floors.

The city-within-a-city building was once the most prosperous building in Kaohsiung. However, with the changes of the times and the transfer of business districts, it has now declined and is known as the number one "ghost building" in Kaohsiung.

(Original title: A mainland compatriot was killed, is there another cause of the Kaohsiung fire?)

Source: Chang'an Street Governor | Reporter Ski

Process Editor: U016

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