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2 Macau residents among 4 dead in Taiwan department store blast

Taichung fire department says explosion may have been linked to renovations on 12th floor of building

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At least four people are reported dead and 10 injured after an explosion at a department store in Taichung, Taiwan. Photo: Handout
Sylvie Zhuangin BeijingandLawrence Chungin Taipei

At least four people, including two visitors from Macau, died in a massive explosion in a department store in the Taiwanese city of Taichung on Thursday, according to city fire authorities.

The blast occurred at around 11.30am at the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store, and injured 26 people.

Taichung’s fire department said the explosion might have been caused by a gas leak ignited by renovations on the 12th floor of the store.

One of the injured, a two-year-old girl from Macau, was in a critical condition in hospital.

The child’s grandfather and grandmother were among the dead.

04:03

Deadly blast at department store in Taichung in central Taiwan

Deadly blast at department store in Taichung in central Taiwan

The girl and her grandparents were part of a family group of seven who were passing the department store on their way to another shopping area when the explosion erupted, authorities said.

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