One more death reported in Kaohsiung fire

Taipei, Nov. 7 (CNA) The death toll from a fire in Kaohsiung early Thursday morning has risen to four after the confirmation of the death of a 61-year-old man surnamed Tung (董).

Tung and his wife, surnamed Wang (王) were rushed to the hospital in critical condition after being found by Kaohsiung Fire Bureau personnel on the second floor of a traditional three-story Taiwanese house on Dingzhong Road in Sanmin District.

Tung was sent to Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital and Wang to Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital. Tung was pronounced dead around 11 a.m., while his wife remains in intensive care.

The other three victims, all found on the third floor, were Tung's older brother, his 17-year-old son and a woman, thought to be Wang's close friend, surnamed Hsu (許), according to Kaohsiung police.

The Kaohsiung Fire Bureau received a call reporting the fire at 12:38 a.m. and dispatched 22 vehicles and 50 personnel to the scene. The fire was extinguished by 3:40 a.m.

Police said the Tung family rented the house, and the property owner is currently abroad.

Tung worked as a plumber and electrician, and Wang as a sanitation worker with the Kaohsiung Environmental Protection Bureau. Their son had left school and was training under his father, police added.

The Kaohsiung City government has dispatched personnel to assist the family.

During an inspection of the fire site on Thursday morning, local prosecutors and fire investigators found an e-bike and a scooter burned down to their frames.

Initial findings suggest the fire started near the roll-up door on the first floor, but further investigation is needed to determine the exact cause.