Late-night fire in Taichung kills 1, damages 12 buildings

Taichung, Jan. 16 (CNA) A late-night fire in a densely populated residential area of Taichung left one person dead and 12 homes damaged on Thursday, authorities said Friday.

According to the Taichung Fire Bureau, the deceased, a woman in her 50s surnamed Yang (楊), was found in a stairwell between the first and second floors of one building, trapped under a "heavy object," possibly debris from the building.

The bureau said it was first notified of the fire in the city's Wuri District at 10:40 p.m. Thursday.

Firefighters arriving at the scene found flames spreading across a cluster of two-story brick and wooden houses built closely together along a narrow alley, the bureau said.

The fire was brought under control and extinguished shortly after midnight, at 12:16 a.m. Friday, the bureau added.

The cause of the fire is being investigated, the bureau said.