At least 13 people were killed and 70 others injured on Sunday when a fire, one of the worst in years, swept through a residential building in suburban Taipei, firefighters said.
The fire erupted shortly after 2am (6pm GMT on Saturday) and immediately engulfed an eight-story building in Luzhou, a district of northern Taipei county, firefighters at the scene said.
Eighty-three people were rushed to hospitals and at least 13 were pronounced dead by doctors, they added.
Doctors said most of the victims were choked to death.
The fire was extinguished two hours later.
While voicing condolences to the families of the victims, President Chen Shui-bian also demanded the authorities investigate lthe cause of the fire.
”The fire and police authorities must find out the cause of the blaze to ensure that identifical events would not recur,” Chen said.
Residents evacuated from the scene said they suspected the fire was caused by arson.
Local television said a 51-year-old man, Chiu Chun-sheng, who is a nearby resident, turned himself in to police for allegedly confessing to be the arsonist. — Sapa-AFP