Taiwan Building Fire Kills 46

Amy Qin & Amy Chang Chien

Taipei (Taiwan): It was known among locals as the city’s “No. 1 ghost building” — a once-prosperous property that began to deteriorate badly after a fire two decades ago. Squatters and gamblers moved in. Piles of debris blocked stairwells. Early on Thursday, a fire tore through the 13-storey building in Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s main port city, killing at least 46 people and injuring dozens. The blaze, Taiwan’s deadliest in decades, underscored concerns about the island’s lax safety standards. At least 41 people were being treated for injuries, local fire officials said. The cause of the fire was under investigation, said Lee Chinghsiu, the city’s fire chief.