4 Dead, 26 Injured in Explosion at Department Store in Taichung, Taiwan

An explosion at a department store in Taichung, central Taiwan, resulted in 30 casualties.

An explosion occurred on the 12th floor of Mitsukoshi Department Store in Xinguang, Taichung, Taiwan, on the 13th. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

According to reports from Taiwan Central News Agency (CNA) and other foreign media on the 13th (local time), the explosion occurred at 11:33 a.m. on the 12th floor of the Taichung Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store, which was undergoing renovation work.

Four people died and 26 were seriously injured. Two of the deceased and five of the injured were travelers from Macau, while the other two deceased were a department store employee and a construction worker.

Rescue operations ended around 5 p.m., and it was confirmed that no one remained trapped at the scene.

Local media reported that the glass windows on the first floor of the department store were shattered, and the shock from the explosion was so strong that people nearby thought it was an earthquake.

A citizen working at a store opposite the department store said, "The explosion caused the building to shake for about 10 seconds."

Fire authorities are considering a gas explosion or dust explosion as the cause.

This department store is jointly operated by Taiwan's Shin Kong Group and Japan's Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings. Authorities have suspended the store's operations indefinitely until the investigation results are released.