PINGTUNG (TVBS News) — Preliminary findings released on Friday (Oct. 4) of the fire at Pingtung Antai Tian-Sheng Memorial Hospital (屏東安泰醫院), claiming nine lives, revealed that seven people died from smoke inhalation, while one succumbed to an illness.
Authorities will conduct a re-examination to determine the cause of the remaining victim's death. Su Ching-chuan (蘇清泉), the hospital's president, also visited the funeral home to express condolences to the victims' families.
Su stated that compensation will follow the procedures established after the 2018 Taipei hospital fire. He mentioned the hospital experienced power instability before the fire, although Taiwan Power Company (台電) reported a normal electricity supply and no damage to the power distribution room.
Su, however, refrained from further comments, citing advice against challenging government statements. He remarked, "Our supervisors and head nurses recorded the exact hour, minutes, and seconds when the breaker tripped."
Prosecutors emphasized the need to assign responsibility following the incident, in addition to providing relief to the affected families. The investigation into the cause of the fire and related accountability continues, with further updates expected as authorities proceed with their inquiries.