Report: Fire kills 9 people, injures 44 in southern Taiwan

TAIPEI, Taiwan — A occurrence engulfed a 13-story gathering overnight successful confederate Taiwan, sidesplitting 9 radical and injuring 44, the island’s semi-official Central News Agency reported Thursday.

The gathering caught connected occurrence astir 3 a.m., occurrence section officials successful the metropolis of Kaohsiung said. Firefighters were conducting hunt and rescue efforts Thursday morning.

While the occurrence has been enactment out, the little levels of the gathering were wholly blackened.

The blaze was “extremely fierce,” and destroyed galore floors of the building, according to the connection from the occurrence department.

Firefighters are unsure of the root of the fire, but noted flames burned astir intensely wherever a batch of clutter had been piled up.

The gathering is astir 40 years old, according to an authoritative statement, with shops successful the little levels and apartments above.