Four people have been injured following a fire that broke out at a research center in Pingtung County on Thursday morning. The fire at the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology’s (NCSIST) facility at the Jiupeng military base began for unknown reasons during a routine burning of leftover materials.
Two people were left seriously injured, with burns covering 50% and 85% of their bodies, respectively, according to United Daily News. All four people survived and were sent to nearby hospitals for treatment.
NCSIST states that a team specifically has been assembled to help victims seek medical treatment. They would help the victims contact their families. NCSIST adds that an investigation is being organized to understand the cause of the fire.
Presidential Office spokesperson Lin Yu-chan(林聿禪) says that President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) expresses her sincerest condolences to the victims. Lin says that Tsai has ordered her office to assist in every possible way in providing medical care to the injured. Lin adds that the president has directed staff to immediately look into the cause of the fire to ensure the safety of operations at the facility.