KMT lawmaker granted deferred prosecution over deadly Pingtung fire

Taipei, Aug. 6 (CNA) Kuomintang (KMT) lawmaker Su Ching-chuan (蘇清泉) has been granted deferred prosecution over a deadly fire that killed nine people at Antai Tian-Sheng Memorial Hospital in Pingtung County's Donggang Township last year, the Pingtung District Prosecutors Office said Wednesday.

Su, who served as the hospital's honorary director and previously held the role of director, was among four individuals granted deferred prosecution for alleged violations including negligent homicide, according to the prosecutors.

The blaze broke out in the hospital's power supply center and spread rapidly to upper floors on Oct. 3, 2024, killing eight bedridden patients and one hospital employee, Pingtung County officials said at the time.

Prosecutors said Su and his older brother Su Wei-sung (蘇威菘), the hospital's head of general affairs, illegally expanded the power supply center to five floors without applying for a permit.

The expansion, which included an elevated walkway connecting the new structure to the main hospital building, violated the Medical Care Act and the Building Act, enabling smoke to spread into the emergency stairwell during the fire, the office said.

According to the prosecutors, the fire began after a technician surnamed Cheng (鄭) improperly used an extension cord while addressing flooding caused by Typhoon Krathon, leading to a short circuit that sparked the fire.

They also said a safety inspector surnamed Kuo (郭), who was responsible for the hospital's fire safety inspection reporting, knew the upper floors were illegal but failed to report them.

All four individuals reached settlements with the families of the victims, and the illegal structures have been dismantled, the office said.

The prosecutors cited their confessions, cooperation with investigators and the hospital's long-term contributions to medical services in southern Pingtung County as factors in the decision to suspend prosecution.

As part of the agreement, Su must pay NT$10 million (US$333,000) to the state treasury and conduct 20 free medical clinics in rural areas over two years, the prosecutors said.

Su Wei-sung must pay NT$5 million and complete 40 hours of labor at public welfare institutions over one year.

Cheng was ordered to pay NT$600,000, attend eight sessions of legal education and perform 80 hours of public labor services, while Kuo must pay NT$800,000 and deliver 20 free lectures to professional fire safety training institutions and fire departments.

Su Ching-chuan, who is the head of the KMT's Pingtung County branch, served as an at-large legislator from 2012 to 2016 and was re-elected to the lawmaking role in January 2024.