Deadly gas explosion in Taiwan shopping mall kills 4, injures 30

China

Deadly gas explosion in Taiwan shopping mall kills 4, injures 30

2025-02-14 15:04 Last Updated At：18:27

An explosion at a department store in the city of Taichung in central Taiwan has killed four people and injured 30 as of 20:00 on Thursday.

It was previously reported that five people had died in the explosion. However, one critically injured survivor with cardiac arrest was resuscitated, leading to the revision of death toll to four.

All those injured in the blast have been hospitalized, and no additional victims remain trapped in the department store, according to local authorities.

Taichung's municipal news bureau said that the emergency has been brought under control following a day of search and rescue work. The department store has been ordered to close its business, and prosecutorial authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the blast.

The explosion occurred at about 11:00 in a food court on the 12th floor of the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department store, causing significant damage to the building's interior and exterior.

Taichung's fire department dispatched 27 fire engines and 62 firefighters to carry out the rescue mission. The municipal government immediately implemented traffic restrictions, and later set up an emergency response center to coordinate relevant departments in handling the incident and its aftermath.

"I work nearby. I heard the explosion first, then the sound of multiple ambulances. Later, I saw more details online," said Mrs. Lin, a local resident.

Chavet, another resident, didn't hear the blast herself but was stunned to learn about it from others, saying it was hard to believe such an incident could happen in an upscale mall.

"I heard about it because I just live over here. It was very loud they said. I didn't hear. I was probably watching TV or something, so I didn't hear. But they said they could hear it and the building shook at my place. It's really sad. I've lived in Asia for seventeen years. I wouldn't think it here because it's a really upscale mall, really nice," she said.

Penalties will be handed to those found accountable for the explosion, and bereavement funds will be allocated accordingly, according to the municipal government.

World Bank forecasts 24-pct surge in energy prices in 2026

The World Bank predicted Tuesday that energy prices may surge 24 percent in 2026 to their highest level since the Russia-Ukraine conflict erupted in 2022 due to the war in the Middle East, while overall commodity prices are projected to increase 16 percent.

In its latest Commodity Markets Outlook released on Tuesday, the World Bank said that attacks on energy infrastructure and shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, which handles about 35 percent of global seaborne crude oil trade, have triggered the largest oil supply shock on record, with an initial reduction in global oil supply of about 10 million barrels per day.

Fertilizer prices are projected to increase by 31 percent in 2026, driven by a 60-percent jump in urea prices, while prices for base metals, including aluminum, copper and tin, are expected to reach all-time highs.

Precious metals prices are forecast to increase 42 percent as geopolitical uncertainty fuels demand for safe-haven assets.

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Indermit Gill, the World Bank Group's chief economist and senior vice president for Development Economics, said the war is hitting the global economy in cumulative waves, warning that poorer populations will be hardest hit.