Want China Times
Date: 2015-06-28
By: CNA and Staff Reporter

At least 13 foreign nationals were among those injured in Saturday evening’s fire at a

water park in New Taipei, according to official tallies.

As of Sunday noon, the authorities had reported 519 people injured. They are being treated at 41 hospitals across Taiwan.

According to a Ministry of Health and Welfare list and Ministry of Foreign Affairs sources, among the injured foreigners, four are from Hong Kong, two from mainland China, two from Japan, one from Macau, one each from Malaysia and Singapore, one from “Europe or America” and one of unknown nationality.

All are female with the exception of the latter two.

The incident occurred at the Formosa Fun Coast water park in New Taipei’s Bali district on Saturday evening. The park has found the cause to be a dust explosion, New Taipei deputy mayor Hou Yu-ih said.

COLOR, THEN TERROR: A ‘Color Play Asia’ event turned into a nightmare when a blaze engulfed partygoers in front of a bandstand. The injured are being treated at 43 hospitals in northern Taiwan

Taipei Times
Date: Jun 28, 2015
By: Diane Baker  /  Staff writer, with AFP and CNA

Hundreds of people were injured last night when an inferno erupted during a party at the

Formosa Fun Coast (八仙海岸) water park in New Taipei City’s Bali District (八里).

An explosion occurred about 8:30pm after colored powder that was sprayed over “Color Play Asia” partygoers in front of a stage apparently exploded in the air, triggering a fire that was quickly brought under control.

Initial reports of about 200 people being injured rose to more than 500 by early this morning, with at least 200 reported in serious condition. The numbers rose as authorities tracked victims who had taken themselves to nearby hospitals or been transported by friends or other people.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/06/28
By: P.N. Lung and Flora Wang

Taipei, June 28 (CNA) The number of people injured by an explosion at Formosa Fun Coast Water Park (八仙樂園) in New Taipei City has risen to 516, with 194 listed as being in a serious condition.

Ministry of Health and Welfare spokesman Wang Zhe-chao (王哲超) said the injured received emergency treatment at 38 hospitals in Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan and Keelung.

Of the injured, reports indicate there are two foreigners and four visitors from mainland China.

The explosion and resulting fire at the water park in New Taipei’s Bali District occurred at about 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, when a stage at the park caught fire after flammable powder apparently exploded in the air.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/06/27
By: Christie Chen

Taipei, June 27 (CNA) Hong Kong singer Karen Mok (莫文蔚) voiced support Saturday for the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that made gay marriage legal across the United States, at the Golden Melody Awards ceremony in Taipei.

U.S. President Barack Obama announced that equal marriage is recognized nationwide today, Mok said on stage before presenting the award for Best Song of the Year.

“I think this is fantastic. Our society is improving, but no matter how it changes, what never changes is ‘love wins,'” the outspoken singer said.     [FULL  STORY]

Want China Times
Date: 2015-06-27
By: CNA

Lo Hsu-liang, head of Taoyuan-based biotech product supplier Zodic Light World Technology

was arrested Friday morning immediately upon returning to Taiwan from abroad.

Lo sold shares of Zodic to investors to rake in about NT$1 billion (US$32.26 million) after allegedly disseminating false information about the prospects of his company.

Prosecutors raided Zodic’s headquarters and the company’s affiliates earlier this week, while summoning 14 related persons, including Lo’s wife, for questioning. Lo did not appear in the prosecutors office for questioning as he was in Austria at the time.

Lo’s wife and the 13 others were released on bail ranging between NT$30,000 (US$969) and NT$300,000 (US$9,699) after questioning.     [FULL  STORY]

CENTRAL CROSSING:China has repeatedly requested the establishment of air routes that would pass through the middle of the Taiwan Strait to augment weekly flights

Taipei Times
Date:  Jun 28, 2015
By: Peng Hsien-chun and Lo Tien-ping  /  Staff reporters

The Chinese government linking the establishment of new air routes directly crossing the middle of the Taiwan Strait with the issue of Chinese tourists making transit stops in Taiwan has stalled recent negotiations for the latter.

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Minister Zhang Zhijun (張志軍) agreed to make an effort to allow Chinese tourists to transit through Taiwan on their way to other countries when he first came to Taiwan in June last year, but the office brought up the issue of establishing new flight routes in November last year, saying that existing routes are too busy to allow new flights, citing air safety concerns.

China again broached the topic of “streamlining the flight routes” at recent cross-strait negotiations in Taipei to allow Chinese tourists to make transit stops in Taiwan.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/06/28
By: Wang Hung-kuo and Bear Lee

Taipei, June 28 (CNA) A total of 349 people, who were injured in a fire at a water park party hours ago, are receiving treatments at 21 hospitals in Taipei and New Taipei as of 1:20 a.m. Sunday, according to the latest statistics by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

None of the injured, including four mainland Chinese and two foreigners, were announced out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), or death on arrival at hospital, the ministry said.

The fire broke out at at Formosa Water Park (八仙樂園) in New Taipei Bali District about 8:30 p.m Saturday when a main stage at the park caught fire and an unknown flammable powder exploded in the air.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan0
Date: 2015/06/28
By Wang Hung-kuo and Romulo Huang

Taipei, June 28 (CNA) A total of 228 people were injured in a fire that broke

Saturday night in the Formosa Water Park (八仙樂園) in Bali District, New Taipei, the Fire Department of the New Taipei City Government said.

Of the 228 injured 96 were in serious condition and another 132 suffered only minor injuries.

Police are probing possible causes of the accident and questioning organizers of the “Color Play Asia” party, which was taking place in the park when fire broke.

Although the fire was quickly brought under control, it still left many serious casualties. The cause of the fire had yet to be determined.

Taipei Times
Date: Jun 28, 2015
By: Wang Kuan-jen and Jake Chung  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

Sixteen passengers were yesterday trapped in ferris wheel carriages at the

Miramar Entertainment Park in Taipei’s Dazhi area (大直) for about 30 minutes due to the system detecting high wind speeds, the Miramar complex said.

Park general manager Hsieh Chia-han (謝佳翰) said the system automatically shut off the supply of electricity to the attraction, as gusts of wind reaching 15 on the Beaufort wind force scale were detected.

The ride’s eight security systems had to be restarted manually, Hsieh said.

The ferris wheel has 48 carriages, which have a maximum capacity of six people each, Hsieh said.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan0
Date: 2015/06/28
By: Wang Hung-kuo, Su Lung-chi and Bear Lee

Taipei, June 27 (CNA) On-site emergency medical stations were set up late Saturday at Formosa Water Park (八仙樂園), where 205 people were injured in a fire probably caused by a dust explosion.

Of the 205 injured people, 82 were in serious condition.

Most of the injured were sent to the Mackay Memorial Hospital in Tamsui, the Chang Kung Memorial Hospital in Linkou and the Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Tienmu for emergency treatment.

As there were still many injured waiting to be rushed to hospitals by ambulance, the Ministry of Heath and Social Welfare mobilized medical personnel from Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung and Taoyuan to open the on-site first aid stations to provide emergency treatment.     [FULL  STORY]