19 Vietnamese injured in Taiwan golf factory explosion

By Thanh Tam September 23, 2023 | 02:28 am PT

A view of medical team moving an injured person, following a fire at golf equipment factory, in Pingtung, Taiwan September 22, 2023 in this screen grab obtained from a handout video. Photo by CTI/via Reuters TV/Handout via Reuters

19 Vietnamese were injured in an explosion at a factory in Taiwan Friday night, the Vietnam Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei said Saturday.

The explosion happened at the Mingyang International golf equipment factory in Taiwan’s Pingtung County.

The injured Vietnamese have been taken to local hospitals for treatment, and some people have been discharged, the office said, adding that it would continue to monitor the situation and carry out necessary citizen protection measures.

The fire at the factory was put under control early Saturday morning. By Saturday afternoon, local authorities said at least six people died, while three went missing and over 100 people were injured.

The cause of the incident is being investigated. Authorities however said the fire began in a warehouse, and firefighters had used water to put out the flames as they entered the area.

Certain substances used in golf ball manufacturing strongly reacted with water, leading to an explosion which brought the whole building down. Among the deceased, four of them were firefighters.

Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen on Saturday expressed her condolences to the families of victims, adding that authorities of Pingtung County has created an emergency center for support following the incident.