Two firefighters die, 351 evacuated from Hsinchu building fire

Taipei, May 27 (CNA) Two firefighers died in a Hsinchu City apartment complex fire late Sunday, with the last of the 351 residents evacuated around 1:10 p.m., Monday, according to the Hsinchu City Fire Bureau.

The fire was reported at about 11 p.m. Sunday and the blaze was largely brought under control by 11:35 p.m., according to the bureau.

However, due to thick smoke more than 100 people remained trapped in the complex on Monday morning while fire fighters worked to vent the smoke.

The complex is made up of four 28-floor buildings. A fire truck with an aerial ladder was dispatched to the scene to assist residents on higher floors if they were in need of immediate assistance, said the bureau.

Some children inhaled smoke and needed to be hospitalized, the bureau said, but no other deaths were reported.

The proximate cause of the fire and the deaths of the firefighters had yet to be determined as of Monday afternoon.