Six firefighters perish in Taoyuan blaze
Six firefighters, all in their 20s, were killed in Greater Taoyuan
yesterday morning after the bowling alley in which they were battling a blaze
collapsed. All six were found dead when rescuers managed to reach them.
Officials from the Taoyuan District
Prosecutors’ Office announced that an inquiry would be conducted into the
deaths to investigate the cause and circumstances of the fire, and to determine
if there had been any negligence or dereliction of duty.
The fire broke out early yesterday morning
at about 2am at a three-story building in Sinwu District （新屋）. The proprietor operated a bowling alley on the second floor and a
swimming pool on the ground level, with the third floor used as a dormitory for
employees.
The six firemen were on the second floor,
near the bowling alley’s counter area, when a burst of flames erupted at
shortly before 3am and the burning structure collapsed, trapping the
firefighters.
“Suddenly, we heard a loud explosion, then
the burning metal-sheet roofing caved in. It was terrible, because we knew some
firefighters had gone inside to battle the fire,” an eyewitness was quoted as
saying.
The bodies of the six firefighters were
transported to the Sinwu Branch of Taoyuan
General Hospital
Two civilians, including the proprietor of
the building, surnamed Liu （劉）, were pulled from the
fire and sustained minor injuries.
A total of 104 firefighters employing 36
fire engines and other vehicles were dispatched to the blaze.
Officials including Premier Mao Chi-kuo （毛治國）, Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan （鄭文燦）
and Minister of the Interior Chen Wei-zen （陳威仁）
sent condolences and paid tribute to the firefighters for their sacrifice in
the line of duty.
Cheng said his government would seek the
maximum compensation payment possible for their dependents according to
official regulations, which would be about NT$19 million （US$600,000） per family.
Taoyuan Fire Department Chief Hu Ying-ta （胡英達） said the building’s operating permit, received in 1994, approved the
facility’s swimming pool business and the second floor for residential use.
“The bowling alley did not have a permit,
so it was operating illegally. The third floor is also an illegal add-on structure,”
Hu said, adding that the building passed a fire safety inspection last year.
After finding out the bowling alley had
been operating illegally for 20 years, Cheng was incensed, mandating government
officials to make inspections to identify all illegal buildings in Taoyuan
within 10 days.
Meanwhile, a number of questions were asked
following the incident, including whether the firefighters were equipped with
inadequate protective and communication equipment; why there was a lack of
accountability among government officials regarding the existence of illegal
structures; and why no action had been taken against many known illegal
businesses.
Commenting on the incident, the National
Association for Firefighters’ Rights （NAFR） said it highlighted a widespread lack of personnel and adequate
equipment among firefighting squads across the nation.
NAFR secretary-general Cheng Ya-ling （鄭雅菱） said firefighters could benefit from the use of infrared imaging
equipment, such as thermographic cameras, which can be used to establish the
topography and temperature of a fire prior to entry.
Fire stations in Taoyuan possess only two
thermographic cameras, an insufficient number to significantly reduce the risk
to firefighters, Cheng said.
She added that firefighting squads often
have a drastic shortage of personnel, leading to the common absence of an
incident safety officer and an emergency reaction team at fires.
http://news.ltn.com.tw/news/focus/breakingnews/1211081
Structure of the lead:
Who- Six firefighters
When- Not
given
What- A blaze
Why- Not given
Where- Taoyuan
How- Not given
Keywords:
Prosecutor(N.)檢察官
Proprietor(N.)老闆
Accountability(N.)問責
