Fire at Hsinchu power substation injures 2, leaves 1 in OHCA

Hsinchu, March 16 (CNA) A fire broke out Monday afternoon at the Zhuyuan Extra High Voltage Substation in Hsinchu City, leaving two people injured and another in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), according to the Hsinchu City Fire Bureau.

The bureau said firefighters received a report at 3:27 p.m. of a suspected explosion and flames at the Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower) facility in the city's East District and arrived six minutes later to begin extinguishing the blaze.

The injured individuals were sent to the hospital for treatment while firefighters implemented safety controls at the scene, the bureau said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation and firefighting operations were still ongoing as of Monday evening, the bureau said.

Taipower said the fire occurred while voltage stabilization equipment at the substation was undergoing testing.

The incident caused a brief voltage drop affecting some power users in the Hsinchu Science Park but did not cause a power outage or disrupt the park's electricity supply, Taipower said.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. said it did not expect the incident to "have an impact" and that its power supply was normal.