2 dead in suspected Hsinchu gas explosion

Taipei, June 9 (CNA) A suspected gas explosion at a residential building in Hsinchu City early Tuesday morning left two people dead and two others injured, according to the Hsinchu City Fire Bureau.

The bureau said it received a report of a suspected gas leak at around 3:52 a.m. Responders arrived at the scene at 4:05 a.m. and confirmed that a major explosion had occurred, prompting the bureau to deploy additional personnel to help with the rescue effort.

It was not clear when exactly the explosion occurred.

A 65-year-old man and a 58-year-old woman were found in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and were later pronounced dead at a hospital.

Preliminary assessments suggest the incident was caused by a gas explosion, the bureau said.

Hsinchu Mayor Kao Hung-an (高虹安) told reporters that the incident affected about eight households and 18 residents. She cautioned, however, that the figures could change, as some residents were not at the scene or had yet to be contacted.

Kao said the city has set up a "coordination mechanism" involving the local ward chief, district office and agencies such as the Department of Civil Affairs and Department of Social Affairs, to help victims and their families and support recovery and relocation efforts.

Meanwhile, local ward chief Kuo Peng-hsin (郭朋鑫) said in a Facebook post that traffic had returned to normal after temporary road closures following the incident.