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TaiwanA 51-year-old woman who burned incense is believed to have caused a fire in an abandoned building in Taiwan. 46 people were killed in mid-October. This was stated by the authorities. The fire, the island’s deadliest in recent decades, destroyed a 15-storey building in Kaohsiung City.
The occupant of the property has been placed under pretrial detention on suspicion of murder resulting from accidental negligence and endangering public safety. “Ms. Huang appears to be responsible for the fire,” Kaohsiung City Council concluded in a report. “She did not check that the incense was completely extinguished before leaving the building (…) which later led to the fire.”
The authorities have not yet decided whether the woman will be charged. According to the prosecution, the resident of the building admitted to lighting sandalwood to repel mosquitoes, but he made incoherent statements about what happened next.
horrible living conditions
The fire destroyed several floors and could not be brought under control until hours later. According to the fire service, the first five floors were filled with trash and leftovers from businesses, causing a huge amount of smoke, which penetrated into the homes above.
Safety standards are not always well enforced in Taiwan, especially in older buildings. The drama also made clear that many elderly people on low incomes, some of whom have mental problems or disabilities, live in appalling conditions.
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