Taipei: A gas explosion at a shopping mall in Taiwan on Thursday killed at least five people and injured several others, according to authorities.
Dramatic videos of the explosion in the city of Taichung, on the island’s west coast, showed debris and large panels of a mid-rise building’s exterior blown out as a loud bang is heard.
Footage shot by bystanders of the aftermath showed the street below littered with debris and two victims visible on the floor.
The blast took place midday on the 12th floor of a popular shopping mall, where a food court was under construction, according to Taiwan’s National Fire Agency.
At least five people have died and 20 others were injured, according to the fire agency. About 235 people were evacuated from the building and area.
Videos showed window panels falling onto the sidewalks and roads below, where cars stood in traffic, with smoke rising from the 12th floor. Other footage from inside the mall showed damaged walls in the aftermath of the blast, with water spraying from broken pipes.
When firefighters entered the building afterward, they found the floor where the explosion took place mostly reduced to rubble, according to video shared by the Taichung Fire Department. In the clip, broken structures and twisted metal dangled from the ceiling and covered the floor, with emergency workers using flashlights to navigate a field of debris.
Rescue operations are ongoing, with more than 130 firefighters on the scene, according to the National Fire Agency. Footage from local media showed ambulances and emergency personnel cordoning off the area and pushing stretchers.
In a Facebook post, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said several government agencies were activated to respond to the incident, including the health ministry to coordinate medical resources to those injured.
Lai urged authorities to investigate the cause of the accident as soon as possible, and asked the public not to go near the scene.
Taiwan has been struck by devastating gas explosions before. In 2014, a series of explosions triggered by underground gas leaks killed more than two dozen people and injured hundreds more in the southern city of Kaohsiung.
The blasts were so strong they tore trenches through main roads and overturned cars and trucks, with one vehicle found on the roof of a three-story building.
