2 dead, 3 injured after fire breaks out in a Taichung house

Taichung, Jan. 19 (CNA) A fire broke out in a house in Shalu District, Taichung early Sunday morning, killing a grandfather and his teenage grandson and injuring three other family members, according to local officials.

Taichung City Government's Fire Bureau received a report at 3:47 a.m. Sunday about the fire at the house on Xinghe Road in Shalu District and immediately dispatched 24 fire engines and 53 firefighters to the scene, according to the bureau.

Flames and smoke were coming out from the first floor of the two-story brick building, firefighters said. The fire was burning miscellaneous items on the first and second floors and flames engulfed about 70 square meters of space in the house, according to firefighters.

The fire was brought under control within an hour and extinguished in less than two hours, they said.

The two deceased victims -- a 71-year-old man surnamed Wu (吳) and his 14-year-old grandson also surnamed Wu -- were found without vital signs and suffering from severe burns at the scene, fire officials said. They were declared dead after being sent to the hospital.

Three others -- the teenager's 64-year-old grandmother, 47-year-old uncle, and 15-year-old brother -- suffered from smoke inhalation injuries and were sent to hospital for treatment, according to the bureau.

Preliminary information indicated that the deceased teenager lived with his father and paternal grandparents because his parents were divorced.

The exact cause of the fire is being investigated by the fire bureau.

However, the police have initially ruled out arson.