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| Jets of water are sprayed as a fire blazes at Cheng Chung Cheng building in Kaohsiung, Taiwan in this still frame obtained from social media video dated early October 14, 2021. CHANG YU CHEN /via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. MUST ON SCREEN COURTESY CHANG YU CHEN |
A fire in a residential building in the southern Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung has killed 46 people and injured another 41, the government said on Thursday.
The fire broke out in the 40-year-old building in Kaohsiung’s Yancheng district in the early hours of the morning and was extinguished around dawn.
The Kaohsiung fire department said in a statement that after completing a search of the building they were able to confirm 46 deaths.
Mayor Chen Chi-mai said the building was partly abandoned, having previously been host to restaurants, karaoke lounges and a cinema.
The government is investigating the cause including whether arson was to blame.
