A deadly fire broke out on the 9th floor of a residential building in Nantun District, Taichung, early this morning. A male resident ran to his balcony, shouting for help as flames rapidly engulfed the unit. Tragically, he was unable to escape and perished in the blaze.
Nearby residents reported hearing a man and woman arguing before the fire started. Some even heard someone mention “gas,” raising suspicions that the fire may have been deliberately set — although authorities have not confirmed this and are still investigating the cause.
As the fire raged in the night, flames shot out from the apartment, intensifying quickly and spreading thick smoke. Firefighters rushed to the scene, setting up water lines and evacuating more than a hundred residents from the building.
The blaze was reported at a residential complex on Wuquan 8th Street. A man in his 40s was seen desperately calling for help from his balcony, but within minutes, the flames overwhelmed the unit, and he was unable to escape.
Deputy Fire Chief Chang Chih-Chao from the Sixth Battalion said, “Our team quickly set up water lines and managed to control and extinguish the fire within about 10 minutes, but sadly, one resident was found deceased.”
Some neighbors said they initially heard a heated argument between a man and a woman. Others claimed to hear warnings about gas being on, prompting concerns over using water. One neighbor shared, “We were about to spray water from our balcony, but the residents across from us shouted not to — saying the gas was turned on. So we quickly shut it off.”
Authorities are still working to determine the exact cause of the fire, including whether it was an accident or possibly arson triggered by the argument.
