Building fire kills 7 in Taiwan

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) - At least seven people were killed and 44 others injured when a building caught fire in Taiwan on Thursday.

Officials in southern Kaohsiung city feared casualties could rise after the 13-story building caught fire mid-night, Focus Taiwan reported.

The local fire bureau received reports of the fire taking over the 13-story commercial and residential building on Fubei Road in the city's Yancheng district at 2.54 a.m. (1854GMT Wednesday).

The fire is said to have started from the first floor of the building which houses 120 residential units between the seventh and 11th floors.

Around 160 firefighters were rushed to the spot to extinguish the fire which was completed at around 7.17 a.m. local time.

Lee Ching-hsiu, local fire bureau chief, said 53 people were rescued and rushed to hospital, “with 14 of those rescued showing no vital signs.”

The official said the number of casualties “could increase as more may be trapped in the residential part of the building between the seventh and 11th floors.”

“Firefighters are still combing the 40-year-old Cheng Chung Cheng building for survivors and are still investigating the cause of the blaze,” Lee added.