TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The death toll of a fire at a golf ball factory in Pingtung City rose to seven Saturday (Sept. 23) afternoon, including four firefighters.

The blaze was finally subdued 22 hours after it started Friday (Sept. 22) evening. The dead also included three employees of the factory, with three of their colleagues still missing by Saturday evening and 98 people injured.

Rescue work was temporarily interrupted during the afternoon, as there were fears light rain might interact with hydrogen peroxide stored at the facility, causing new explosions. 

At the start of the fire Friday, firefighters began to retreat as they were enveloped by smoke, but before they even started to douse the fire, the first massive explosion occurred, the Liberty Times reported. The blast injured 10 firefighters, while the team lost contact with the four who were later found dead.

Management of the factory, operated by Launch Technologies Co., Ltd., said it would announce details about the disaster and about compensation measures at a news conference Sunday (Sept. 24). The company reportedly supplies 20% of the world’s golf balls.

Prosecutors opened an investigation into the cause of the fire and the explosions. The deaths of four firefighters also gave rise to calls on the government to allow them to form labor unions, CNA reported. Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) said he would consider the demand, though the impact on other civil servants, including police officers and teachers, had also to be taken into account.