TAICHUNG (TVBS News) — Authorities are investigating the exact cause of the explosion at the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Zhonggang department store (新光三越中港店) in Taichung on Thursday (Feb. 13), which claimed the lives of four individuals.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW, 衛生福利部) reported on Friday that the explosion also injured 34 others, with six injured individuals remaining in intensive care.
Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) noted ongoing renovations on the 12th floor, raising questions about their potential role in the incident. The natural gas company confirmed that it had sealed the gas pipelines on the 12th floor during the renovation and found no leaks during inspections conducted with Taichung’s Fire Bureau (台中市消防局).
Concerns remain that floor drilling might have damaged the 11th-floor ceiling pipes, potentially causing a gas leak. Lu Sohu-chien (盧守謙), director of the Fire Investigation Center at Tajen University (大仁科技大學火災鑑定中心), suggested that high-pressure gas cylinders at the site might have leaked and exploded upon encountering a fire source.
