Suspected Gas Leak Triggers Deadly Blast at Popular Taichung Department Store

A suspected gas explosion at a well-known department store in Taichung, Taiwan, has resulted in at least four fatalities and numerous injuries. The explosion occurred on February 13 at the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi mall in the Xitun area, located on the 12th floor of the building, around 11:30 am.

Initial reports suggested five deaths, but this number was later revised down to four after a two-year-old girl was found alive, initially believed to be in cardiac arrest. Over 20 people have been injured, with some sustaining serious injuries. Local media, including Taiwanese broadcaster EBC, have been providing updates on the situation.

Images from the scene show shattered glass windows from the building’s façade, with large debris raining down onto the streets below. The blast is suspected to have been caused by a gas leak while a gas tank was being replaced in the mall’s foodcourt, according to the Liberty Times.

Witnesses described the explosion as a powerful shockwave. A local resident, Mr. Liao Yu-fu, told AFP he was woken by the blast, which he compared to “a plane hitting a house,” as the vibration even caused his bed to shake. Another witness, a woman who was on the sixth floor at the time of the explosion, initially mistook the event for an earthquake. She recalled walking down the stairs surrounded by broken glass and described the damage as widespread throughout the building.

Although the foodcourt was closed for renovations, emergency teams responded quickly to the scene. The Taichung Fire Bureau reported the explosion at 11:33 am, dispatching fire trucks and ambulances to the location. Rescue efforts continued throughout the day, as reports emerged of people trapped in the building’s damaged elevators.

Among the victims were seven family members from Macau, two of whom were confirmed dead after being hit by falling debris as they exited the mall. The local government in Taichung issued an emergency notice in response to the blast, while Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te confirmed that medical resources were being mobilised to assist the injured.

The cause of the explosion remains under investigation as authorities work to determine the exact circumstances behind the tragic event.