TAOYUAN (TVBS News) — Taoyuan International Airport Corporation (桃園國際機場公司) responded swiftly to a fire alarm that went off at 1:22 a.m. Thursday (Jan. 9) in the South Arrival Corridor of Terminal 1. The operations control center extinguished the fire within eight minutes, ensuring passenger safety and smooth airport operations. Preliminary investigations suggest that a short circuit in the ceiling wiring may have caused the fire.
The airport company plans to conduct a more detailed investigation to determine the exact cause and implement immediate improvements. To safeguard public safety during the incident, the airport activated fireproof shutters in the affected area at 1:40 a.m. and redirected passenger flow. By 2:51 a.m., the site was cleared, and by 3:07 a.m., normal passage resumed.
Despite the incident, airport operations remained unaffected, with three flights carrying 372 passengers arriving in the impacted area. A traveler posted on PTT, a popular online discussion platform, mentioning thick smoke at the gate after returning from Japan, sparking discussions among netizens. Some users questioned whether the fire was an act of arson, referencing a recent incident where undersea cables were deliberately severed.