Two dead, 19 injured in fire at chemical fiber plant in Hsinchu

Taipei, Feb. 6 (CNA) A fire broke out at a chemical fiber factory in Hsinchu County in the early hours of Thursday, claiming the lives of two people and leaving 19 others injured, according to Far Eastern New Century Corp., which runs the plant.

The fire was reported at 2:53 a.m. Thursday at the plant in Xinpu Township, and firefighters rushed to scene shortly after, but while the blaze was extinguished around 3:30 am, two lives were lost, the company said.

One factory worker was pronounced dead at the site after suffering out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), it said.

Another employee, who also suffered OHCA, was rushed to hospital, but was pronounced dead there, according to the Hsinchu County Fire Bureau.

Five people were severely injured in the fire, while 14 others sustained minor injuries, Far Eastern said, adding that it will provide assistance to the families of the deceased and those who were injured.

According to the company, the fire was caused by a gas explosion that resulted from a leak in an insulation pipe.

The plant remains operational, with a daily manufacturing output of approximately 160 tons of chemical fiber, which means production has not been significantly affected by the fire, the company said.

The fire on Thursday was the fifth one at the factory since 2019, according to residents in the area.

They told CNA that the plant constantly emits foul odors, causing air pollution, and is seen as a ticking time bomb, which is scary for residents in the area.

Some residents said that in the wee hours of Thursday, they heard a loud bang and thought it was an earthquake.

A few minutes later, they heard sirens and realized that it was a fire or explosion nearby, as firetrucks and ambulances began arriving, they said.

According to the Hsinchu County Fire Bureau, a fleet of 29 vehicles, carrying 60 firefighters, was dispatched to the scene at around 3 a.m. Thursday, a few minutes after the fire was reported.