46 people killed after fire tears through 13-story residential building in Taiwan

[superadmin]

At least 46 people killed after fire tears through 13-story residential building in Taiwan

Taipei, Taiwan (CNN)At least 46 people died and dozens were injured after a major fire broke out in a building in southern Taiwan on Thursday, authorities said.

The blaze started in the 13-story commercial and residential building at 2:54 a.m. local time (2:54 p.m. ET) in Kaohsiung city's Yancheng district, according to Taiwan's official Central News Agency (CNA).

Rescue operations are still underway, with more than 377 rescue workers deployed to the scene, a spokesman at the Kaohsiung city fire bureau told CNN. At least 41 people have suffered injuries, he said.

Initially, authorities put the death toll at seven, but the city's fire chief Lee Ching-hsiu warned more casualties were expected as some people may still be trapped in the residential part of the building, between the seventh and eleventh floors.

- More -