2 dead, 3 critical in Taichung beef noodle shop fire

Taichung, July 31 (CNA) Two people were killed in a fire at a beef noodle shop in Taichung's Taiping District on Thursday, police said.

The victims -- a 58-year-old man surnamed Hsieh (謝) and his 2-year-old granddaughter -- were pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

Three others -- a 1-year-old boy, a 29-year-old man, and a 52-year-old woman -- were also rescued, regained vital signs after treatment, and are now in intensive care.

The shop was operated by Hsieh, who lived in the building with his wife, their eldest son and two grandchildren -- all of whom were involved in the fire, according to the Taichung City Police Department's Taiping Precinct.

The Taichung City Fire Department received reports of the fire at about 6:05 a.m., and the blaze was under control by 7:05 a.m.

According to firefighters, the site is a three-story concrete building with an additional metal-sheet structure on the rooftop, and the fire and smoke originated from the shop on the first floor.

An initial inspection by the fire department suggests the blaze started in the kitchen at the rear of the shop, though the exact cause remains under investigation.