TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Three members of a family were killed in an apartment fire caused by a lithium-ion battery explosion on Thursday (June 13).
At 3 a.m., a fire broke out on the fourth floor of a residential building on Yanshou Road in New Taipei's Tucheng District, reported SET News. The fire department received notice of the blaze at 3:32 a.m. and dispatched 48 vehicles and 132 personnel.
When firefighters arrived the fire had fully engulfed the fourth floor. It was brought under control by 4:27 a.m. and extinguished by 4:35 a.m., with approximately 150 square meters damaged by the fire.
A preliminary investigation indicates that the fourth, fifth, and sixth floors were occupied by the same household, consisting of five family members: the father, mother, son, daughter, and the daughter's boyfriend. The father and daughter were able to escape in time.
The mother, son, and daughter's boyfriend were trapped inside. When found by firefighters, the three had died.
According to the father and daughter, the fire started in the living room on the fourth floor when the lithium-ion battery of a hedge trimmer exploded. The fire spread quickly trapping the mother, son, and daughter's boyfriend inside.
New Taipei City Fire Department Chief Li Ching-an (李清安) said the fire spread quickly to other floors. Ten nearby residents were forced to evacuate. The district office will assist in their relocation.
