On Thursday, an explosion at a department store in Taiwan killed four people and left 8 others hospitalised, fire authorities said. The death toll is likely to increase. The blast occurred at the food court on the 12th floor of the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department store in Taichung city, the Taichung Fire Bureau said.
Macao’s Tourism Office confirmed, among the dead were two people visiting from Macau, while a third was severely injured. According to the media reports, they were part of a family of seven who were there for tourism.
Dozens of firefighters were deployed to the scene at about 11:30 a.m. Parts of the building’s exterior were damaged and scattered fragments were strewn on the streets.
Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen said at the scene that she felt the shock at her office nearby. She said the fire bureau would look for a rescue operation first, but an investigation was also underway and officers were checking whether there were other sources of danger. Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te stated he had asked all relevant government agencies to investigate the cause of the accident.
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