TAIPEI (TVBS News) — A predawn gas explosion tore through a bento shop in Hsinchu City early Tuesday (June 9), killing two people and injuring two others. The blast collapsed a wall onto a neighboring bakery where an elderly couple lay sleeping upstairs.
Here is what we know about the explosion, the victims, and why investigators cannot yet determine the cause.
What Happened
The Hsinchu City Fire Bureau (新竹市消防局) received a report of a suspected gas leak on Gaocui Road (高翠路) in East District at 3:52 a.m. Responders arrived at 4:05 a.m. and confirmed a major explosion had occurred, the bureau said.
The victims, a 65-year-old man surnamed Wu (吳) and a 58-year-old woman surnamed Chang (張), operated a bakery next door. Firefighters found the couple trapped under debris in their second-floor bedroom when the wall between the two buildings collapsed.
Both were found in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest — meaning they had no pulse when rescued — and were later pronounced dead at a hospital. Two others sustained minor injuries: a 60-year-old man surnamed Hsiao (蕭) with limb abrasions, and a 33-year-old man surnamed Ku (古) with facial lacerations.
What Investigators Suspect
Firefighters believe gas accumulated overnight inside the bento shop after it closed. The shop contained four liquefied petroleum gas cylinders and was also connected to a natural gas pipeline, fire officials said.
If only one cylinder had leaked, the explosion would not have been powerful enough to cause such damage, fire officials said. The blast blew a car parked in front of the shop across the street.
Whether the leak came from the LPG cylinders or the natural gas line remains undetermined. Investigators cannot enter the building because the explosion severely damaged the townhouses.
Forensic teams must wait for structural engineers to confirm safety before conducting a full investigation. The fire bureau has established an investigation team to determine the cause.
Emergency Response And Affected Residents
The fire bureau deployed 40 firefighters and 14 fire trucks. Mayor Kao Hung-an (高虹安) told reporters the incident affected about eight households and 18 residents, though some residents were not contacted.
The city has established a coordination mechanism involving the local ward chief, district office, and relevant agencies.
Neighbors described the bakery owners as kind and well-liked, having operated the bakery for years and maintaining close ties to the community. Had the blast happened during daytime business hours, casualties could have been far worse, residents said.
The bento shop opened earlier this year, and neighbors said they had limited interaction with its operators. The identity and whereabouts of the bento shop's owner was not immediately available. Local ward chief Kuo Peng-hsin (郭朋鑫) said traffic on Gaocui Road had returned to normal after temporary closures. ◼