13 indicted over deadly gas explosion at Taichung mall

Taichung, Dec. 30 (CNA) Prosecutors on Tuesday indicted 13 people, including a department store manager and contractors, over a deadly gas explosion at the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Zhonggang store in Taichung earlier this year that killed five people and injured 35.

The Taichung District Prosecutors Office said the Feb. 13 blast was caused by multiple layers of negligence during renovation work, including the failure to fully shut off gas supplies, inadequate safety checks and the absence of required permits.

Prosecutors said Shin Kong Mitsukoshi, as a nationwide retail chain, should have upheld the highest safety standards, but systemic management failures led to what they described as the most serious industrial accident in Taiwan's department store history.

According to the indictment, the store allowed contractors to begin after-hours renovation work on Feb. 9 without legally required interior renovation permits or a construction-period fire safety plan.

The store manager, surnamed Hsu (許), failed to verify the status of the 12th-floor main gas shutoff valves and pipelines before work began, prosecutors said. A deputy manager, an employee from the store's development division and a renovation contractor also failed to ensure the site was free of gas hazards.

Investigators found that a gas leak detection system above the ceiling had been removed before construction began, with no alternative safety measures put in place.

Although Shin Chung Natural Gas Co. removed some gas meters and sealed certain pipes on Feb. 10, residual gas remained in other branch pipelines, prosecutors said.

On Feb. 13, an excavator was used to dismantle ceiling structures without adequate protection, despite gas pipes being embedded nearby. The machine accidentally tore down a main gas pipe and branch lines, allowing gas to accumulate above the ceiling.

Unaware of the leak, an electrician later used a powered cable cutter elsewhere on the floor, producing sparks that ignited the gas and triggered the explosion.

The 13 defendants and Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store Co. were indicted on charges including negligent homicide, negligent injury and violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

While the company has reached settlements with some victims, prosecutors said the negligence was serious and that the defendants attempted to deflect responsibility after the incident.

Shin Kong Mitsukoshi said it respects the prosecution's decision and will cooperate fully with judicial proceedings. The Taichung store resumed operations on Sept. 27 after safety upgrades following a city-ordered suspension.