Tragedy in Taiwan: Store Explosion Claims Lives, Among the Injured - Tourists

A powerful explosion, likely caused by a gas leak, shook a department store in Taichung on February 13th. As a result of the incident, at least four people lost their lives, and 26 others suffered varying degrees of injuries, including foreign tourists from Macau, reports NewsBox.

According to rescuers, the epicenter of the blast was on the 12th floor of the building, where construction work was in progress at the time of the accident. The explosion caused significant damage to the building's structure, affecting floors starting from the ninth and above, writes Reuters.

"We can confirm that among the deceased and injured are tourists from Macau. Two citizens have been killed and five more have sustained injuries and are currently under medical supervision," stated a fire department representative in an official announcement.

The company owning the Taichung Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department store confirmed that the food court on the 12th floor, where the blast occurred, has been temporarily closed for repairs.

Taiwan's Ministry of Health reported that the condition of one of the injured is critical, with the person being treated in intensive care.

President of Taiwan, Lai Ching-te, expressed condolences to the families of those who perished and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. He called for a thorough and prompt investigation into the causes of the tragedy to identify all circumstances and prevent similar incidents in the future.

Currently, rescuers and experts continue to work at the scene, determining the exact causes of the explosion. Law enforcement agencies are conducting witness interviews and analyzing available data to understand the circumstances leading up to this tragic event.